Utility Wants to Pour $334 Million of Taxpayer Money Down Carbon Capture Rat Hole

/PRNewswire/ -- Utility giant AEP has applied for $334 million in stimulus money to construct the first commercial scale CO2 capture and storage project at a West Virginia coal-fired power plant. That's about half the money needed for the project. The project goal is to capture 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year and then to store it 1.5 miles below the surface. Left unanswered, however, are some very significant questions:

Q How much of a difference in atmospheric CO2 levels will this make?

A Atmospheric CO2 accumulation from this plant is the product the emissions (0.0015 billion metric tons of CO2) times its persistence in the atmosphere (estimated to be 40%), which equals 0.0006 billion metric tons of CO2. Since 1 part per million by volume (ppmv) of CO2 weights 7.81 billion metric tons, the atmospheric persistence of the plant's emissions is roughly 0.0006 / 7.81, which equals 0.000077 ppmv. So AEP plans to spend $670 million -- remember half is taxpayer money -- to avoid increasing atmospheric CO2 levels by 0.000077 ppmv per year. That's only $8.7 trillion per ppmv avoided.

Q How much of a hypothetical change in temperature will be achieved by this $670 million expenditure?

A If the project started burying CO2 in 2015 as planned, then between 2015 and 2100 the atmosphere would contain about 0.0065 ppmv less CO2 (85 years x 0.00077 ppmv per year). Using the IPCC's simplified expression for calculation of radiative forcing due to CO2 and 380 ppmv for our base year 2007, we get a change in CO2-related forcing of about 0.000092 W/m2, which works out to between 0.0000276 degrees Celsius to 0.000092 degrees Celsius of potential warming avoided over those 85 years.

That works out to a rate of between $7.3 trillion to $24.3 trillion spent per hypothetical 1 degrees Celsius rise in global temperature avoided. Remember, this is only a hypothetical temperature difference; it's not at all certain that any temperature difference would actually occur! Moreover, even if this miniscule temperature increase were avoided, it's not at all clear that any climatic benefits would actually occur. Global warming is better, after all, than global cooling.

"The only thing worse than AEP's application to throw $334 million in taxpayer money down the carbon capture rat hole be the Obama administration granting the request. Stimulus money is supposed to jump-start the economy not be wasted on politically correct boondoggles that provide no value to society," said Steve Milloy.

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Majority of Federal Workforce Concerned About Meeting Public's Expectations for Economic Stimulus Program

TT Note: Oh, that wonderful stimulus package that we had to have right now or the sky would fall. Well, let's see. Unemployment is higher than what the administration said it would be with the passage of the wonderful stimulus package. Now, even government employees are "concerned" and "overwhelmed" that it just may not be what Chicken Little proclaimed.

/PRNewswire/ -- According to a new study by Government Business Council (GBC), the research division of Government Executive Media Group, most federal executives are not optimistic that their agencies will be able to achieve all that the American Recovery and Reconstruction Act (ARRA) has promised to taxpayers.

Federal managers report that they are focusing their agency's efforts to contribute to the ARRA objectives of saving and creating jobs and jumpstarting the economy, but that they are doing so with uncertainty. Specifically, the majority of federal managers -- 54% -- report that they are "overwhelmed" or "anxious" about the ARRA requirements and the management of ARRA so far.

The survey, conducted in May 2009, captures the views of 333 randomly selected federal managers on the implementation of ARRA. According to the study, most federal managers expect their agencies to have success in disbursing stimulus funding but believe that the tracking and reporting of those funds, to meet accountability and transparency standards, will be more difficult.

Despite being uncertain, managers do seem hopeful about ARRA, however, as 40% feel that the program could serve as a catalyst to further changes in how government works, possibly resulting in improving the public's view of government.

"Our research indicates that federal managers are committed to the goals of ARRA but are concerned that they may not have the resources to be fully successful," stated Bryan Klopack, Director, Government Business Council.

GBC will present a free webinar on the study on July 16, 2009 at 2 p.m. More information on the study and webinar can be found at www.govexec.com/gbc/.

"Government Business Council leads the way in tapping into the minds of federal managers to understand their most pressing concerns," commented Matt Dunie, General Manager, President, Government Executive Media Group. "By focusing on understanding the challenges facing today's federal leaders, GBC is able to identify where opportunities may exist for the private sector to provide mission-critical expertise and assistance."

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Obama Administration Abandons American Workers, Refuses to Implement E-Verify Requirement

/PRNewswire / -- Billions of dollars in stimulus aid can be used by federal contractors to hire illegal workers because of the Obama administration's cancellation of a requirement that they use the E-Verify system. As unemployment soars in the U.S., taxpayer-funded assistance will be used to hire illegal aliens, according to Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS).

"It is simply appalling that millions of Americans have lost their jobs, yet we are spending stimulus dollars to hire workers who have broken our immigration laws," said Diana Hull, the President of CAPS.

Nearly 6 million jobs have disappeared from the United States over the last year and a half, and unemployment hit a 25-year peak of 8.9% in April. The administration has promised to crack down on businesses that knowingly hire illegal workers, but it is delaying this measure to apply workplace rules to federal projects.

"Obama and other politicians claimed they were creating jobs for American workers with this huge stimulus package. Then they turn around and displace U.S. workers by failing to enforce our immigration laws," Hull noted.

The delay in the executive order until September was the fourth postponement this year. The new rule, if implemented, would require contractors to confirm the employment eligibility of all persons hired during a contract term with the federal government. E-Verify is free to employers, and 12 states now have some form of legislation to mandate its usage.

"Cancellation of E-Verify is unforgivable because this program is so effective. It is a clear signal that effective immigration enforcement is not a real goal of this administration," said Hull. "Struggling American workers and their families deserve better."

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