Mass balance on biofuels

Tags

biofuel, corn, LCA

Here is a recent summary article on a recent life cycle analysis (LCA) study comparing CO2 emissions associated with biofuels (e.g. corn ethanol) to CO2 emissions from gasoline:

http://phys.org/news/2016-08-biofuels-decrease-heat-trapping-carbon-dioxide.html

The full study was just published in the journal Climatic Change and is titled “Carbon balance effects of U.S. biofuel production and use”:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-016-1764-4

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Energy-Water Nexus in Arizona

Tags

arizona, coal, Colorado River, energy, energy-water nexus, Navajo Generating Station, water

This is an interesting article on energy and water use in the American West, specifically talking about the Navajo power plant in nothern Arizona:

https://projects.propublica.org/killing-the-colorado/story/navajo-generating-station-colorado-river-drought

The Navajo Generating Station is a coal fired power plant that is one of the largest power plants in the West, generating over 2 GW of power.   The plant is instrumental in providing the electricity needed to power pumps that divert millions of gallons of water from the Colorado River over 300 miles and 3,000 vertical feet to Phoenix, Tuscon, and other arid parts of AZ where the water is essential to the existence of those populations centers. In the process, the plant generates 15 tons of coal per minute and accounts for ~ 29% of the state’s emissions from energy generation.

The future of this > 40 year old plant is unclear, especially in a water- and carbon-constrained world, but its story is an excellent example of how energy, water, and climate are vitally connected in many parts of the world. It is an interesting article that is well worth reading.

Navajo generating station in Arizona. https://projects.propublica.org/killing-the-colorado/story/navajo-generating-station-colorado-river-drought