Clean Energy Key to Arkansas Rural Economic Development NRDC Report States
A new Natural Resources Defense Council report, A Clean Energy Economy for Arkansas, argues that clean energy is a key factor for rural economic development in the state. Some key facts underlying the analysis are:
- Each year Arkansans spend $10.1 billion for fossil fossil fuels.
- Which translates to $3,500 in energy costs for every person (not household) in the state.
- 78% of those energy dollars leave the state, never to return.
Arkansas ranks 13th in per capita energy consumption, and is expected to need 2,500 megawatts (MW) in new generating capacity over the next 15 fears.
The report cites a previous NRDC study indicating that "green jobs" primarily in construction, engineering, installation, agriculture, and operation of rural energy production facilities -- jobs which cannot be exported. According to the report, clean energy investments 3.6 times more jobs for people without a college education, and 2.6 times more jobs for people with a college education, than comparable investments in fossil fuel energy.
The report goes on to examine
the potential for renewable resource development in Arkansas and finds unprecedented opportunity for long-term economic growth in rural communities as well as new income sources fro farmers from an array of emerging clean energy technologies, particularly wind, biofuels, biopower, and biogas.
Wind Power. 40 of Arkansas's 75 counties have commercially viable wind resources. A federal government study projects that 1,000 MW of generating capacity would create $830 million in economic benefits over 20 years, including 3,496 construction and locally stimulated indirect jobs and 504 permanent operations jobs.
Biofuels. With its strong agricultural base, Arkansas is "perfectly situated to become a center for the next generation of biofuels production." Existing Arkansas crop and timber residue are "sufficient to produce 770 million gallons of transportation fuels each year, equivalent to 50 percent of all the gasoline used in Arkansas.
Biopower. The report points out that combining solid biomass with coal at existing power plants is a relatively low-cost way to ramp up renewable resource development. "If 10 percent of Arkansas's coal-fired power capacity were replaced with biopower, more than 700 new long-term jobs would be created, not including new agricultural jobs to produce and harvest the biomass fuel."
Biogas. Methane from decomposing manure has 21 times the global warming potential as carbon dioxide. While Arkansas is one of the nation's leading livestock and poultry producers, it has no operating biodigesters. "In addition to providing a potential source of revenue and energy for livestock operation, anaerobic digestion systems create high-quality fertilizer and other byproducts while reducing odors, water pollution, and emissions.
Important Point. Even the Arkansas Energy Office recognizes the potential for producing electric power with biomass, estimating that Arkansas has sufficient biomass potential to supply 150 percent of the state's residential electricity use.
