Proceedings - Biomass South 2008

---

Ivan Urlab, Executive Director, NC Sustainable Energy Association

Ivan Urlaub brings ten years of state, national and international experience in the energy and water fields to his work as Executive Director of the NC Sustainable Energy Association. Relevant aspects of Ivan’s technical and management experience include economic analysis; utility design and debt restructuring; legislative and regulatory analysis; electricity, petroleum, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water and environmental regulation and compliance; institutional development; strategic planning; drafting laws and rules; voluntary national biomass program design; emergency response; global climate change; and market development. Ivan currently serves on the North Carolina Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change. Ivan holds a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a Master of Environmental Management and Master of Public Policy from Duke University, where he focused on Energy, Economic Globalization, and Global Environmental Change sciences.

North Carolina Renewable Energy and Efficiency Portfolio Standard: The Southeast's first step to become a beneficiary of the New Global Energy Economy

• Slide Presentation in PDF format (will open in new window)

Notes:

• 30 yrs. As sustainable energy assoc:  public policy, economic development, and education
• NC RPS bill, study bill, 2007 signed by NC Governor
• Not more expensive to pursue renewable verses natural gas and coal, this study big push for bill
• Still uncertain about biomass what rules apply, will biomass be counted as renewable in standard?
• Shift in NC energy policy and regulatory directive – focus more on efficiencies and renewable
• Goals both investor owned utilities and municipals/conservatives
• Now hog waste, poultry liter and solar power minimums
• Only utility sponsored ee count, this should be reviewed
• Fast-track REPS rule making although posted it leaves questions
  • Tracking renewable energy certificates
  • Enforcement mechanisms
  • How have utilities chosen renewable
• Net metering, NC receives an F, but now should be B with modifications
•  Energy costs are going up
• This is a crossover industry for EE/RE
• NC #12 on CO2 emitter

Key Quotes

• “The southeast is where that innovation should happen”
• “Southeast is sitting on a gold mine of energy efficiency”
• “This  is committing yourself to the learning curve”(the REPS)

Summary

• Reps establishes a market floor for renewable to enter market
• NC and southeast have a lot of energy efficiency potential
• To stay competitive globally need to quickly move forward with renewable otherwise will import renewable from developing China
• REP is the beginning to learn lessons, need to educate legislators from these lessons with data from REP implementations
• Align utility interest with public interest
• NC and southeast need a higher target than nation to push investments here, with EE and biomass supply we have the potential