Transportation tops Maine greenhouse gas emissions

Cars, trucks and other vehicles used for transportation were responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions in Maine in 2017, according to a report released by state environmental regulators this week. Maine's transportation sector has emitted more greenhouse gases than any other sector every year for at least two decades, according to state data, and is the only tracked sector whose greenhouse gas emissions have increased since 1990.

A 2003 state law established a series of greenhouse gas reduction goals for Maine. The law set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the state, by 2010, to the levels of emissions recorded for 1990; to reduce emissions to 10% less than 1990 levels by 2020; and in the long term, "reduction sufficient to eliminate any dangerous threat to climate." The 2003 law required the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to issue a report every 2 years on progress toward these goals.

In 2019, the Maine State Legislature enacted An Act To Promote Clean Energy Jobs and To Establish the Maine Climate Council, which replaced these goals with requirements that Maine reduce its gross annual greenhouse gas emissions to at least 45% below the 1990 gross emissions level by 2030, and to at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The 2019 law requires the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules to ensure compliance with these levels, and authorizes the Department of Transportation to adopt similar rules.

On January 13, 2020, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection issued its Eighth Biennial Report on Progress Toward Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals. The report shows that Maine’s electric sector has largely been decarbonized, while transportation and heating remain laggards.

As it has for decades, transportation dominates Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions at 54% of the total, because nearly all vehicles burn gasoline or diesel. Homes are the second-largest emitters, contributing 19% of the total, mostly by burning oil for heating. Commercial businesses (11%) and industrial businesses (9%) contribute relatively smaller shares.

Meanwhile electric power generation contributed just 7% of Maine’s CO2 emissions in 2017 (down from 9% in 2015). As Figure 7 from the Department's report shows -- reproduced below -- no sector has cut its carbon emissions by a greater percentage than the electricity sector, while transportation stands out for its dominant and growing share of emissions.

Figure 7, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Eighth Biennial Report on Progress Toward Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals

The 2019 legislation also created the Maine Climate Council to advise the Governor and state Legislature on ways to mitigate the causes of, prepare for and adapt to the consequences of climate change. Governor Janet Mills also issued an executive order calling for Maine to be carbon neutral by 2045. Achieving these goals will require substantial focus on decarbonizing Maine's transportation sector.

Carbon capture and sequestration for enhanced oil recovery

A project to capture carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired power plant in Texas has captured more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Historically, carbon dioxide resulting from the combustion of coal and other fossil fuels has been emitted directly into the atmosphere, but global concern over climate change has led to efforts to limit carbon emissions to the atmosphere.  While many of these programs focus on reducing reliance on combustible fuels, carbon capture and sequestration technologies offer the potential to remove carbon dioxide from thermal plants' flue gas before it is emitted from their smokestacks.  The U.S. Department of Energy runs programs designed to support the development and commercial deployment of these technologies.

The Petra Nova project uses an amine solvent-based CO2-capture technology to remove carbon dioxide from the flue gas of NRG's coal-fired W.A. Parish power plant.  It is a 50/50 joint venture between NRG and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration.  NRG describes Petra Nova as "the world's largest post-combustion carbon capture facility installed on an existing coal-fueled power plant."  The Department of Energy selected Petra Nova to receive $190 million as part of the Clean Coal Power Initiative Program.

The project uses a carbon capture process which was jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Kansai Electric Power Co.  It was designed to capture about 90 percent of the CO2 from a 240 MW slipstream of flue gas, compressing and transporting approximately 1.4 million metric tons of CO2 per year through an 80 mile pipeline to Hilcorp's operating West Ranch oil field where it is utilized for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) -- injecting the CO2 underground to help additional oil flow to a production wellbore.  According to the Department of Energy, the use of this CO2 for enhanced oil recovery has boosted the West Ranch Oil Field's oil production from 300 barrels per day to about 4,000 barrels per day.

Petra Nova began commercial operations on January 10, 2017. According to an October 23 press release, Petra Nova has now captured more than 1 million tons of CO2 for use in enhanced oil recovery. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has said that Petra Nova's success "could become the model for future coal-fired power generation facilities," which could support CO2 pipeline infrastructure development and drive domestic enhanced oil recovery opportunities.

California considers transportation electrification

California utility regulators are considering proposals by electric utilities to electrify the transportation sector.  If the three largest electrical corporations' proposals are approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, it could represent an investment of about $1 billion in transportation electrification in California over about 5 years.

The transportation sector is a major consumer of energy and emitter of carbon dioxide.  In California, the transportation sector accounts for 37 percent of statewide greenhouse gas emissions.  Electrifying transportation -- converting vehicles and trips from direct consumption of fossil fuels to EVs or electric vehicles -- can reduce emissions, particularly where the electricity supply is sourced from renewable or low-carbon resources.

To address energy and climate matters, in 2015 the California legislature enacted Senate Bill 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act.  SB 350 codified Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.'s clean energy and climate change goals, establishing a statewide 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target of 40 percent below 1990 level.  SB 350 calls for pursuing those goals through a variety of measures, including the promotion of "widespread transportation electrification," defined as "the use of electricity from external sources of electrical power, including the electrical grid, for all or part of vehicles, vessels, trains, boats, or other equipment that are mobile sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases and the related programs and charging and propulsion infrastructure investments to enable and encourage this use of electricity." 

The legislation requires the California Public Utilities Commission to direct electrical corporations to file applications for programs and investments to accelerate widespread transportation electrification.  That process is now underway.  On September 14, 2016, the Commission issued an order directing the state's three major investor-owned utilities to prepare and file applications describing their proposed transportation electrification projects and programs.

On January 20, 2017, the three utilities -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), SouthernCalifornia Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) -- filed their applications.  As summarized by the Commission, PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E submitted proposals to invest $1 billion in transportation electrification over an approximate five year period.  Onroad medium and heavy-duty charging infrastructure proposed by SCE accounts for roughly half of this total; residential charging infrastructure proposed by SDG&E and "FleetReady Make Ready Infrastructure" proposed by PG&E round out the largest-ticket items.  Other projects include electrification of cranes and forklifts at ports, terminal yards, and airports.

The cases remain pending before the Commission, with evidentiary hearings held earlier this month.  Other cases before the Commission address proposals by three smaller utilities.