Appalachian Alternatives

Newsletter of Appalachia – Science in the Public Interest

Winter 2005 Number 82

2005 ASPI Calendar of Events

June 4 – ASPI River Day
February 12 – Workshop – “Expanding a Net-Metered Solar System”

- Call 606-256-0077 or email aspi@a-spi.org for details

June 4 – 22^nd Annual ASPI River Day

September 24-25 – 2005 Bluegrass Energy Expo

Andy McDonald Testifies Before Governor's
Energy Task Force

By Ben Perry and Andy McDonald

Andy is both an old ASPI hand and a new one. He came to Kentucky from Buffalo, NY with Fr. Jack Kieffer in 1992 and worked with ASPI on solid waste and appropriate technology projects. His interests eventually led him to the Master’s Program in Sustainable Systems at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 2003. He was pulled back to Kentucky after graduation by family ties (his folks live in Laurel Co, KY) and close friends. He agreed to come back to work for ASPI as author of ASPI’s Technical Paper #71; “High Performance Building: Bringing Green Building into the Mainstream in Kentucky” and as assistant director of the 2004 Bluegrass Energy Expo. He has recently taken on the co-directorship of the Kentucky Solar Partnership (KSP) with Joshua Bills, and the coordination of KSP’s 2005 Million Solar Roofs Initiative grant, in addition to his duties as assistant director of the 2005 Bluegrass Energy Expo. He now lives near Frankfort, KY with his new wife Connie Lemley and his stepdaughter Eleanor.

Following are Andy’s November 2004 comments to the Governor's Energy Task Force for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which has been set up to establish the state’s first official energy policy. Joshua Bills also testified before the task force, but his comments are not included here.

Good morning. My name is Andy McDonald and I am the co-coordinator of the Kentucky Solar Partnership, a project of Appalachia- Science in the Public Interest.
I commend Governor Fletcher for forming this task force to develop an energy policy for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I am here to challenge you to make energy
efficiency and renewable energy the foundation of Kentucky's energy policy. Consider these facts:

The University at Buffalo in New York saves over $9 million per year as a result of an aggressive energy conservation program. Cumulative energy savings since the late 1970's exceed $100 million. (The University at Buffalo Thinks Green, April 2004)
From 1979 to 1986, the US economy grew by 19 percent, but total energy use shrank by six percent. In that time, "America obtained nearly five times as much new energy from [efficiency] savings [and conservation] as from all net expansions of supply." (Hawken, Lovins, and Lovins, Natural Capitalism, p. 249) The energy corporation Royal Dutch/Shell considers it 'highly probable' that by 2050 renewable energy will supply one-half of the world's energy. (Natural Capitalism, p. 247) Sun Power Electric, a utility in Boston, generates all of its electricity from solar photovoltaics. (Natural Capitalism, p. 248) During 1999, an energy consulting office in Morningview, Kentucky, performed an audit of their own energy consumption, and by investing $1,500, reduced their energy use by 87 percent, while upgrading their two computers and other office equipment. For an additional $2,100 they took their office off the grid and it is now powered entirely by solar electricity.

Why are these items important? Why should we seek a new energy path? Because our current energy choices endanger human and environmental health, threaten our
national security, and weaken our economy. Climate change, acid rain, smog, water pollution, and the destruction of watersheds are driven by our dependence upon fossil fuels. The concentration of mercury and other heavy metals in the environment and the food chain are primarily attributable to coal combustion. These environmental consequences of our energy choices threaten the long-term health and prosperity of our
communities. Our national security and the specter of a never-ending war against terrorism are also deeply influenced by our energy choices. We are dangerously
dependent upon foreign oil supplies, which complicates our relationship to the nations of the Middle East. Our dependence upon centralized power plants makes our power supply vulnerable to terrorist attacks- and the potential for an attack at a nuclear power plant is a threat of almost unthinkable proportions. The health of our economy is inextricably tied to each of these factors. Climate change and air pollution, for example, place a tremendous burden on our economy, even if economists still fail to include these in the price of fuel. The extreme weather events predicted as a result of climate change threaten more frequent and more severe natural disasters, such as droughts,
floods, forest fires, and hurricanes. Air pollution places the burden of increased respiratory disease upon our communities, and the cost of treating these diseases is a burden on our health care system. Beyond the costs of environmental degradation, there is the plain cost of inefficiency. The inefficient, wasteful use of energy and resources is a drag on our economy and a burden on the families of Kentucky.
Every dollar unnecessarily spent on heating or electricity or gasoline could have been better spent meeting other needs, whether by families, businesses, or the government. The inefficient use of energy also places Kentucky businesses at a disadvantage in the
global marketplace. Inefficiency is not the hallmark of a thriving, expanding enterprise, and our competitors in places such as Japan and Germany understand this very well.

We can establish energy policies that promote the long-term health and prosperity of our communities, that protect and restore the environment, that increase our energy independence and security, and that strengthen our economy. The foundation of such a
statewide energy policy would be to vigorously invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. Coal, natural gas, and petroleum must be viewed as
transitional energy sources, a limited stock of high-energy materials that, if we invest them wisely, can help us to develop a sustainable economy and energy system based on efficiency and renewable resources. Energy efficiency represents an enormous energy "supply," with the potential to eliminate the need for new power plants, while driving down utility bills for homeowners and the cost of doing business for the
private sector. Saving energy can cost less than buying energy or building new supply systems, and keeps on saving year after year. The benefits to Kentucky's economy of shifting our resources from utility bills to other needs and investments could be
enormous, and energy efficiency could itself become a significant industry in the state. The technologies, policies, and management systems needed to transform
the way energy is used in Kentucky are well developed and ready to be implemented. (The attached list of references provides access to more specific recommendations).
Likewise, the renewable energy industry is expanding rapidly around the world and in the United States. The price of renewable energy technologies has been dropping dramatically over the past 20 years, while the industry has been growing at a rate of 20- 30 percent per year. The Union of Concerned Scientists projects that the US could provide 20 percent of its energy from non-hydroelectric renewable resources by
2020- if we make the commitment to do so. Renewable energy technologies - solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and landfill gas - are proven and in widespread use. Their development has been slowed by a lack of government investment during the 1980's, and limited support since that time, while the fossil fuel and nuclear power industries have benefited from enormous government subsidies and support. This imbalance must be reversed to greatly expand the role that renewables will play in Kentucky's energy future. Specific policies that would provide critical support to the renewable energy industry include: A renewable portfolio standard (RPS), requiring Kentucky utilities and distributors to supply 20 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2020.
A public benefits fund, created through a surcharge on electric bills (potentially 0.2 cents per kilowatt-hour), to fund investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and to support low-income energy consumers. Expand Kentucky

's net metering law to cover other renewable energy technologies besides solar, and remove restrictions intended to limit the growth of the renewables sector. Tax credits and rebates, to support renewable energy production and business investments. These and other policies are in place in other states and are serving to expand the renewables industry.

Kentucky has the opportunity to take a leadership role in the national discussion on energy policy. There is an increasing awareness that our current energy path cannot be sustained, whether because of its destabilizing influence on global politics,
its environmental consequences, or because of the burden it is placing on our economy. Clear vision and principled leadership is needed to overcome the inertia of entrenched interests and open up a new path toward a clean, renewable energy future. The Kentucky Solar Partnership would be glad to assist this Task Force in conducting research and developing specific policies to support a sustainable energy future for the Commonwealth. Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments. Please feel free to contact me if I may be of any assistance.

The following websites and publications offer extensive information concerning energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and technologies:

- Alliance to Save Energy, www.ase.org
- American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,
www.aceee.org - Natural Capitalism, by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins, 1999.
- Rocky Mountain Institute, www.rmi.org - See "Energy Surprises for the 21st Century,"
- UB Green Office, University at Buffalo, New York, http://wings.buffalo.edu/ubgreen
- Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org - See the UCS publication "Clean

Energy Blueprint: A Smarter National Energy Policy for Today and the Future,"

By Steven Clemmer et al., 2001.

Kentucky Solar Partnership News

by Andy McDonald

Financing Available for Solar Water Heater Installations

The Kentucky Solar Partnership (KSP) is partnering with the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), based in Berea, Kentucky, to promote the development of renewable energy in eastern Kentucky. In collaboration with KSP, MACED is offering low-interest loans (and potentially rebates) to pay for the installation of solar water heating systems. The program is open to both residential and commercial consumers, and has a goal of installing 50 solar water heaters by the spring of 2006.

We have chosen to focus on solar water heaters in the first phase of this project because of the significant economic returns they can provide over the long-term. Water heating typically accounts for about 25% of a home’s utility bills, and a solar water heater can reduce the energy needed to heat water by 50% to 90%. For a family of four, this can amount to an annual savings of $200- $600 or more, depending on the type of water heater currently used, the cost of fuel, and the amount of hot water used in the home. At this rate, a solar water heater could be paid off in five to ten years. Since these systems will last from 20 to 30 years or longer, the long-term savings can be significant.

Throughout the course of this project we will be conducting marketing and educational outreach and providing presentations to interested community groups and organizations. We will also be hosting an installer training workshop, to build a base of qualified solar water heater installers in the region. In addition to the solar water heater project, MACED also has low-interest loans available to support the installation of solar electric systems for commercial use and for the development of renewable energy businesses in eastern Kentucky. To learn more about any of these programs, please contact Andy McDonald, Kentucky Solar Partnership, (502) 227-4562.

Promoting The Kentucky Solar Energy Guide, the Kentucky Sun Pages, and Net-metering Incentives

As the ASPI newsletter goes to press, we are putting the final touches on The Kentucky Solar Energy Guide, which will be available in print and on our new website, www.kysolar.org. The Kentucky Solar Energy Guide will be a valuable educational tool and we will be working to distribute it to interested individuals, organizations, and decision-makers around the state. We will also be working to expand and promote the Kentucky Sun Pages (www.greenprofessionals.org/ky), a directory of renewable energy and green building businesses and professionals serving Kentucky.

In the coming year KSP will also be working to promote an important solar electric incentives program available to some TVA customers in western Kentucky. TVA’s Generation Partners Program offers to purchase the net production from grid-tied solar electric systems at a rate of $0.15/kWh. (Whenever a grid-tied solar electric system produces more power than is used on-site in a given month, the excess power produced is referred to as “net” production) The program will also pay the owner of a newly-installed, grid-tied solar electric system $500 when the system is connected to the grid. While TVA is the power provider to many utilities in western Kentucky, most are presently not participating in the Generation Partners Program. KSP will work with partners in those utility districts to encourage utilities and their customers to participate in the program.

Volunteer Program Update

by Laura Wick

Students from the University of Notre Dame will be volunteering at ASPI this spring (March 6-12) as part of the Notre Dame Appalachia Seminar Program. They will spend a week working at the ASPI Demonstration Center and also spend some time working with the Forest Service, likely doing maintenance on the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail.

Wilderness Volunteers, a non-profit group based in Flagstaff, AZ, will be hosting a trip at ASPI in October. Approximately ten volunteers will spend a week here in Rockcastle County, working on signage and trail maintenance for the Forest Service, and also some trail work at the ASPI Demonstration Center. Visit the Wilderness Volunteers website (www.wildernessvolunteers.org) for more details, or to sign up for the trip!

If you live in the area and would like to contribute or participate during any of the group service projects please contact Laura Wick at the ASPI office! We also have plenty of hands-on service projects for youth groups, Scout troops, and multi-generational church groups. If you or a member of your family is interested in volunteering at ASPI, please contact Laura or Deb at the ASPI office. We are developing a list of volunteers who are willing to work a day or a weekend on projects at the Mt Vernon and Rockcastle River demonstration sites.

Laura and Deb Bledsoe have begun planning for spring garden projects at ASPI. Local folks are invited to assist with the gardens! Please contact Laura or Deb if you are interested. Laura will also be contacting local schools to see if student groups or a science class want to adopt one of the gardens for a class or group project. If any of you know of groups that may be interested or have any ideas for the volunteer program please contact Laura at the ASPI office or via email at lm_wick@yahoo.com. Some wish-list items that would be extremely helpful for group visits are: Portable mattresses (air beds, Therma-Rest type mattresses); Pots and pans; and Tools (shovels, rakes, mattocks, etc for trail maintenance)

Christmas Intern
by Deb Bledsoe

David Doose of Paris, KY, spent two days of his holiday break at ASPI assisting with woodcutting, property maintenance, and gardening chores. David is a student at Bourbon County High School. He is enthusiastic about learning more about organic gardening and simple living, and looking forward to volunteering again as the year progresses through the cycle of seasons.

David mulches the A-SPI garden

News and Notes

Attn: Photographers - It’s not too late to be Immortalized in the 2006 Simple Lifestyle Calendar?

We are still looking for Photos for the 2006 Calendar theme; Footpaths of Appalachia. Please contact us by the end of February if you have some photos you are willing to donate, or if you are willing to head for the hills and snap a few for the cause. Ideally, we are looking for photographers we can work with for many years to come, so please step forward if you are willing to offer your talents to benefit our work in Appalachia.

Appalachian Ecology Reaches 513 Students in Fall 2004

Appalachian Ecology Program Coordinator Bianca Hawkins visited five elementary schools this past fall, presenting the curriculum to 513 students in all. Two of the schools had to cancel their field trips to ASPI’s Mary E. Fritsch Nature Center due to rain and have rescheduled for this coming spring. As usual, the program received outstanding reviews from both students and teachers.

Nature Center Gets New Roof

The Mary E. Fritsch Nature Center received a new metal roof in December, thanks to a generous gift from Mary herself. Although the old roof was only 12 years old, it was beginning to wear through and leak around the edges, causing the rotting and replacement of several fascia boards on the backside of the center. The Rockcastle River Valley is rough on roofs due to the nearly-constant high humidity and regular accumulation of moss and debris from the surrounding forest. Local contractor Joshua Gilbert (and husband of former Appalachian Ecology coordinator Sara Helton Gilbert) expects the grade one metal roof purchased from East Kentucky Metal, to at least double the life of the previous roof for a cost of only about 25% more. We are grateful to Mary that we were able to afford the superior roof and for Joshua and his crew for working with us to keep the cost within our budget.

Thank Yous

11/1/2004 to 1/17/2005 - Leonard Levine, Jonathan Kern, Mary Vaughan, Lewis & Susan Hankenson, Xandy Adams & Kevin Yee, Ian Rudick, Wendell & Tanya Berry, Carey & Sue Koplowitz, Warren Brunner, Joseph T. Netherland, Colin Raitiere, Ben Perry, Danny McKinney, Don Mullineaux, George & Rita Watkins, Eric Matchette, Sharon Fradenburgh & Joseph Taylor, Andy & Kathleen Weigert, Burton V. Barnes, Carol Ann Morrow, Barbara Holt, Jane Adele Spear, James & Hildegard Wachob, Jonathan & Sally Chappell, Albert & Jean Cevasco, Greg & Kathleen Harmeyer, Nancy Stein, Bill & Dorothy Harmeyer, Ted & Betty Linden, George Steenken, Michael Fogler, Ruben Angel, Caroline Cunningham, Stuart Butler, Carl Callenbach, John A. Rogers, Therese Hildebrand & David Kennedy, Margaret Hollowell, Robert Hoover, Russ Tucker, Orie & Elinor Loucks, James Fleck, Mary Chapman, Jim Fournier & Karen Zeleznak, Leonard & Donna Wrona, Deepak Desai, John Noel, Ed & Sharon Perraut, Scott Persons, Will & Helene Lepkowski, Phyllis Machta, Albert Ruschman, Mary Pat Hill OSM, Jeffrey Waters, Richard & Margaret Touma, Kris Peterson, James Hall, Sharon Price, Thomas Campbell, Paul & Monique Winther, Nancy Jackson, Eugene Kieffer, James & Debra Weber, Edith Kearfott, Dr. Laura Murphy, Henry Moore, Tony Witsken,Jr., Robert & Mary Ann McDonald, Sue & J.P. Shugars, Sr Anne Regina Lannon SSJ,. Esther Sutton, John & Anne Horstman, Carpenter-Warren Ins. Agency, Roger & Pat Frisch, Leif Hagglund, John & Eileen Yago, Michele & David Jorgensen, Steve Acree, Gene & Joanne Wilhelm, Ed & Dorothy Singer, Rose Mary Foncree, Gerald Wright, Ruth Fort, Gary Libby, Patricia & Jerry Wolf, William Shallenberger, Beth Dotson Brown, Frank & Mary Fritsch, Bruce Carter, Ihor & Catherine Hlohowskyj, Jane McCarthy, John & Colleen Harmeyer, Robert & Mary Kelly, Richard & Susan Pozdol, Don Kike, Catherine Rumschlag, James & Loretta Spotila, Pegi & James, Stentz, Oswald Loidl, Mary & Ray Barry, Bernie & Ellen Engelman, Mike Mattox, Frank Ettensohn, Lizbeth Kauffman, Suzanne Comtois, Ken & Virginia Smith, Della & Rustum Roy, Alan Meinert, Stephen R. Wilmhoff, Mt.Tabor Benedictines, Beth Gunn, Lewis Gardner, James & Therese Mudd, Rachelle & Charles Hollander, Carol & Frank Schmidt, Peter & Donna Ford, Kathy & Ike Kahler, Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph, Barbara Wetula, Larry & Patricia Darcey, Linda & Tom Green, Ron & Nancy Leeseberg, Christopher & Carole Pierce, Robert DeJonge, Joe & Dottie Farrell, Theresa Falter, Kasey Moulton, Ky. Heartwood, Chris, Della, Sarah & Matthew Oberst, William & Julie Gregg, Marion Neely, Ronald Preston, Judith Hollock, Stephen Rhodes, Robert & Rosemary Courboin, Richard Smith & Pat Gailey, Judith McCandless, Portia Brown, Mariana D’Amico, Doug & Pat MacNeal, Philip & Terrie Curd, Clancy & Marcia Dunigan, Gerald & Judy Arnold, John Perry, David & Catherine Brown, Dr. & Mrs, Wendell Kingsolver, John P. Rogers, Jerry Hardt, Kathleen Mourant, Mary Ann & Michael Lambert, Ronald Seaton, Nancy Osborne, Milada & Svato Schutzner, Grace Brondum, Hesperia Bevan, Robert & Virginia Johnson, William Galbraith, Martin Albert, Sandra Hudson, John D. Borders, Thomas & Lois Smith, William & Barbara Boeck, Gregory & Ruth Maletta, Roger & Gloria Smith, Gerard McMahon & Judith Ann Gale, Kurt & Susan Keljo, Tom Lambert, Edward Harris, Ronald & Mary Beth Lusby, David & Ethyl Merrick, Michael & Donna Eisenstat, Ann Peery, John & Karen Schultz, Angus & Susanne McMillan, Andy McDonald & Connie Lemley, Claire Nader/Safety Systems Foundation, Phyllis Fitzgerald, Kathleen Mavournin, Richard & Elaine Stoltzfus, Zalla Foundation, Winnie Hepler, Donald Rothberg, Phillip & June Allen, Ron Roberts, Edward Lammert & Maynard Tetreault, Charlie & Katherine Fritsch, James Lichtenberg, Barry Horowitz, Aaron Kromash, Joan & Brian Clare in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Richard & Lucy Henighan in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Karen Levek in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Ralph & Dorothy Bertolacini in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Delpha & Bob Williams in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Crowe & Witter Family in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Paul & Ann Rapien in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Richard & Barbara Simmons and a group of teacher friends in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Robert & Patty Graves, in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Carolyn Macneal in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Teresa Maurer & Jim Morgan in Memory of Gene Hirschberg, Jane Rector Donaldson, Robert & Diane Mushaben, Anna M. Auteri, Corinne Schmur, Alice Hale Adams, Chris Culp, Jim Storm, Jessie Herdic, Davee Setzer, Joyce Sheehey, Claire Farnsworth, Susan Osborne, Laurie Webb, Margaret Batko, Thomas Brudenell, Kathleen Beerbohm, Betty Graham, Tricia Pace, Bob Suber, Edd & Christina Fritsch, Lois Crain Heilemann, Betty & David Lollis, Heather Poucher, Mary Sweda, Maura Ubinger, Karen Hinchen, Kate Campbell, Marliese Reick, Lynne Moody, Jeff Bach, John Florian, Dorothy Shields, Margaret Smith, Elizabeth Olson, Frank Schwartz, Paul Buterbaugh, Joeli Armstrong, Mary Templeton, Andy McMahon, Kristin Higgs, Fred Schwerer, Karen Phillips, Luci Merlo, Karol Osborne, Michael Shremshock, Frank & Carol Scheel, Ann Oliver, Anton Prange, Joe Cramer, Joseph Steen, Karen Bakita, Joseph Hacala, Beverly Bunnell, Gena Kruger, Margaret Lamartina, Robert Thompson, Julia Parker & Jeffery Wulfhorst, Brett Kelver, Dana Wildsmith, Sherri Amos, Theresa Cross, Robert Beaudoin, Betty Bielenberg, Meg Bowerman, Marianne Huff, Mary Ann Kokenge, Tenley Weaver, Sr. Teresa Walsh, John & Sarah Gibbs, Mary Ann Ghosal, Lonnie Sears, Catherine Reichenberg, Cindy & David Brown Kinloch, Susan Ludwig, Glenna Altizer, Carrie Carter, Charlene Meadows, Susan Nachazel, Tim Lee, Jane Thompson, Anna Kunzler, Paula Hays, Eileen Ciezki, Richard Peckham, Jennifer Von Alstine, Steele Hinton, Rick Flood, Patti Staton, Marge Cipkar, Paul Kapczuk, Melaine Zuercher, John & Carol Kimmons, Steve Swanback, Celeste Wojcik, Cynthia Miske, Kathryn McCoy, Robert & Jeannette Cannon, Robert Scrogins & Diane McCallum, Carol Cox, Patty Kipps, Marian Baker, Robin Hille/Cumberland Center for Justic & Peace, Kevin Millham & Kristin Johannsen, Paul & Ann Rapien, Richard & Barbara Simmons, Robert & Patsy Graves, Carolyn MacNeal, Teresa Maurer, Kris Shrader-Frechette.

Wish List

Library materials (books, reports, periodicals, reference books) + recent Home Power magazines, fire-box or fire-proof safe, 2002+ model PCs and monitors, a flat-bed utility trailer (12’ ideal), mulch and manure, an electric stove, portable mattresses (air beds, Therma-Rest type mattresses); Pots and pans; and Tools (shovels, rakes, mattocks, etc for trail maintenance)

HELP SUPPORT ASPI Through DISCOUNT COMMUNICATION SERVICES

New Discounted Internet Service

Receive up to 150 hours a month of internet usage for $14.95 and designate $2.25 per month to ASPI (at no cost to you). To sign up, visit aspi.visp-net.com or if you don’t currently have internet access, call 800-803-5726. Be sure to mention ASPI so we get credit for the order.

Discounted Long Distance Service for Home or Business

* Mention this ad and designate 3% of your bill (at no cost to you) to ASPI

New Flat Rate – 4.9c for interstate and intrastate calls. No monthly service fees, no

minimum billing required, low-cost calling cards, & six-second billing. Good

except where Quest is the local phone company. TouchTone has recently implemented a lower 4.25c rate for Ohio (interstate & intrastate).

New Service Provider – Atcall, EqualNet, CCC/GlobalCom are no longer honoring our

agreement. If one of these is your carrier, please call Ian Rudick at 1-888-622-

0957 to switch to TouchTone, so your calls continue to benefit ASPI. Sorry for the inconvenience.

For more information or to order new service, contact Ian Rudick with Come From the Heart at 1-888-622-0957