Energy Inefficiency in Industrial Agriculture: You Are What You Eat: Working Paper Series--09-09

Modern industrial farming technologies for growing fruits, vegetables and grains have changed substantially in recent decades. In many locations such as Arizona, these industries are highly energy and water-intensive operations. As such, the sustainability of these operations is called into question. The economic, social and climate implications of energy use in agriculture are worth further discussion. Based on the idea of a sustainable energy budget, the production processes of various foods are analyzed which prove to be very energy inefficient. Various primary and secondary sources are used to evaluate a series of industrial production methods to produce food. The conclusions are presented in a series of calculations based on the direct fossil fuel inputs used in production. Fossil fuel based industrial agriculture raises numerous issues requiring more advanced analysis. The environmental, ecological and social justice issues of modern industrial agriculture require a reassessment form myriad perspectives: farm subsidies, consumer demand and preferences, engineering technologies and water policy

Energy planning for Indian nations within the WRAP: A field guide: Working paper series--05-14

This paper provides an overview of the process for developing a tribal energy plan. The process includes the following steps: developing a tribal energy vision, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy resource development, electrification programs and energy plan implementation. Working with the Hualapai Tribe in Arizona, the workshop curriculum was presented and led to instantaneous energy efficiency projects. Stemming from the tribal reports from the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP), the foremost recommendation for the 237 tribes within the WRAP was to create energy plans. Tribes should begin the process of energy planning due to the following issues: economic development (cost savings, revenue generation, job creation, and profit creation), increasing tribal sovereignty, energy independence, and cultural integrity

Evaluating the most promising sites for wind energy development in Arizona USA: Working paper series--05-09

During the summer of 2003, the state of Arizona took delivery of a set of high-resolution wind energy maps. After applying various exclusions, the developable wind energy potential is 23,290 MW of class 3 or higher, 2,630 MW of class 4 or higher, and 775 MW of class 5 or higher winds. Having determined the potential wind resource, the geographical information system data supplied with the wind maps was used to create a wind resource inventory and to systematically identify the most promising sites for wind energy development. In addition to wind energy potential, proximity to transmission lines and roads, and land ownership were considered in this analysis. Following that, the cost of energy was estimated at a few geographically diverse sites, including class 3, 4, and 5 wind resource areas, at a hub height of 70 m. These estimates revealed that the real levelized cost of energy in 2005 dollars ranged from 4.21 to 5.04 cents per kWh, as the wind class varies from 5 to 3. This paper documents the findings of the wind mapping process, describes the method and results of evaluating the most promising sites for wind development, and presents the cost of energy results

Energy and water use in Arizona agriculture: Working paper series--08-08

Increasing energy and water concerns in Arizona are the driving forces to improve the efficiency of agricultural production within the state. In this article we address the energy and water uses in growing a variety of crops in Arizona. The goal of the research project is to identify and quantify all energy and water uses from the production of the initial seed, through the treatments of the soil and various chemical introductions, all the way until the crop is harvested in the field. Thus, the analysis is "from seed to the edge of the field." Using a series of secondary data sources, the paper provides ranges for the energy and water consumption for the predominant crops grown in the major agriculture areas of the state

The implications of the regional haze rule on renewable and wind energy development on Native American lands in the west: Working paper series--02-21

A study conducted at Northern Arizona University investigated the barriers and opportunities facing Native American tribes in the west when considering development of their renewable energy resources in order to reduce regional haze. This paper summarizes some of the findings of that work with special attention to wind energy. Background information is presented concerning the regional haze rule and the western regional air partnership, and some of the circumstances surrounding development of tribal energy resources. An assessment of tribal energy issues revealed that many Native American tribes are interested in developing their renewable resources. However, this development should occur within the context of maintaining and strengthening their cultural, social, economic, and political integrity. Furthermore, it is shown that Native American lands possess an abundant wind resource. A list of potential actions in which tribes may participate prior to or during development of their wind or renewable resources is provided

Recommendations for reducing energy consumption and improving air quality through energy efficiency in Indian Country: Working paper series--04-04

The strongest recommendation stemming from the Air Pollution Prevention forum of the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) was for tribes to develop and implement energy plans. This paper provides a discussion of the benefits of any such plan and itemized a variety of components of any said plan. A brief discussion of the WRAP is presented is the framework of improving air quality. Based on the background of Jacobs (2000) and Smith (2000), the primary and secondary benefits of energy efficiency plans are then discussed. Then a series of specific recommendations are itemized. These include tribally sponsored programs, collaborative opportunities, and tribal leadership programs

Economic analysis of energy efficiency measures: Tribal case studies with The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of The Flathead Reservation, The Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and The Yurok Tribe: Working paper series--04-02

The best way to reduce air pollution from the production of electricity is not to produce it in the first place. This paper presents three cases studies explaining how energy efficiency programs can be beneficial to tribes from a purely cost-saving basis, The Yurok, Flathead and Pascua Yaqui Reservations graciously provided an opportunity to investigate energy efficiency for their tribes. In each case the consumption of electricity was reduced such that a positive net present value was present following an initial capital investment. In the case of the irrigation systems on the Flathead Reservation, the savings were substantial even though no explicit savings of water was accounted for. It is estimated that tribes can reduce electricity costs by 10-50% by following energy efficiency programs. Many programs can be very simple involving small upfront capital outlays, such as changing light bulbs or installing motion sensors. The Yurok case showed a return of 7.5% after simply changing bulbs and the Pasqua Yaqui case showed a possible return of 10-80%. Other tribes could make similar investments and realize similar benefits in addition to improved air quality. The strongest recommendation from the Air Pollution Prevention Forum to tribes was to develop an energy plan. These cases show that some fairly simple analysis can make a plan very beneficial

Identification and implementation of potential energy efficiency programs in Indian Country: Working paper series--04-03

The strongest recommendation stemming from the Air Pollution Prevention forum of the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) was for tribes to develop and implement energy plans. This paper provides a discussion of the benefits of any such plan and itemized a variety of components of any said plan. A brief discussion of the WRAP is presented is the framework of improving air quality. Based on the background of Jacobs (2000) and Smith (2000), the primary and secondary benefits of energy efficiency plans are then discussed. Then a series of specific recommendations are itemized. These include tribally sponsored programs, collaborative opportunities, and tribal leadership programs

Phosphonate production by marine microbes: exploring new sources and potential function

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Acker, M., Hogle, S. L., Berube, P. M., Hackl, T., Coe, A., Stepanauskas, R., Chisholm, S. W., & Repeta, D. J. Phosphonate production by marine microbes: exploring new sources and potential function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(11), (2022): e2113386119, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113386119.Phosphonates are organophosphorus metabolites with a characteristic C-P bond. They are ubiquitous in the marine environment, their degradation broadly supports ecosystem productivity, and they are key components of the marine phosphorus (P) cycle. However, the microbial producers that sustain the large oceanic inventory of phosphonates as well as the physiological and ecological roles of phosphonates are enigmatic. Here, we show that phosphonate synthesis genes are rare but widely distributed among diverse bacteria and archaea, including Prochlorococcus and SAR11, the two major groups of bacteria in the ocean. In addition, we show that Prochlorococcus can allocate over 40% of its total cellular P-quota toward phosphonate production. However, we find no evidence that Prochlorococcus uses phosphonates for surplus P storage, and nearly all producer genomes lack the genes necessary to degrade and assimilate phosphonates. Instead, we postulate that phosphonates are associated with cell-surface glycoproteins, suggesting that phosphonates mediate ecological interactions between the cell and its surrounding environment. Our findings indicate that the oligotrophic surface ocean phosphonate pool is sustained by a relatively small fraction of the bacterioplankton cells allocating a significant portion of their P quotas toward secondary metabolism and away from growth and reproduction.This work was supported in part by grants from the NSF (OCE-1153588 and DBI-0424599 to S.W.C.; OCE-1335810 and OIA-1826734 to R.S.; and OCE-1634080 to D.J.R.), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (no. 6000 to D.J.R.), and the Simons Foundation (Life Sciences Project Award IDs 337262 and 647135 to S.W.C.; 510023 to R.S.; and Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology [SCOPE] Award ID 329108 to S.W.C. and D.J.R.)

DOE Hydropower Program Biennial Report for FY 2005-2006

SUMMARY The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydropower Program is part of the Office of Wind and Hydropower Technologies, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Program's mission is to conduct research and development (R&D) that will increase the technical, societal, and environmental benefits of hydropower. The Department's Hydropower Program activities are conducted by its national laboratories: Idaho National Laboratory (INL) [formerly Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory], Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and by a number of industry, university, and federal research facilities. Programmatically, DOE Hydropower Program R&D activities are conducted in two areas: Technology Viability and Technology Application. The Technology Viability area has two components: (1) Advanced Hydropower Technology (Large Turbine Field Testing, Water Use Optimization, and Improved Mitigation Practices) and (2) Supporting Research and Testing (Environmental Performance Testing Methods, Computational and Physical Modeling, Instrumentation and Controls, and Environmental Analysis). The Technology Application area also has two components: (1) Systems Integration and Technology Acceptance (Hydro/Wind Integration, National Hydropower Collaborative, and Integration and Communications) and (2) Supporting Engineering and Analysis (Valuation Methods and Assessments and Characterization of Innovative Technology). This report describes the progress of the R&D conducted in FY 2005-2006 under all four program areas. Major accomplishments include the following: Conducted field testing of a Retrofit Aeration System to increase the dissolved oxygen content of water discharged from the turbines of the Osage Project in Missouri. Contributed to the installation and field testing of an advanced, minimum gap runner turbine at the Wanapum Dam project in Washington. Completed a state-of-the-science review of hydropower optimization methods and published reports on alternative operating strategies and opportunities for spill reduction. Carried out feasibility studies of new environmental performance measurements of the new MGR turbine at Wanapum Dam, including measurement of behavioral responses, biomarkers, bioindex testing, and the use of dyes to assess external injuries. Evaluated the benefits of mitigation measures for instream flow releases and the value of surface flow outlets for downstream fish passage. Refined turbulence flow measurement techniques, the computational modeling of unsteady flows, and models of blade strike of fish. Published numerous technical reports, proceedings papers, and peer-reviewed literature, most of which are available on the DOE Hydropower website. Further developed and tested the sensor fish measuring device at hydropower plants in the Columbia River. Data from the sensor fish are coupled with a computational model to yield a more detailed assessment of hydraulic environments in and around dams. Published reports related to the Virtual Hydropower Prospector and the assessment of water energy resources in the U.S. for low head/low power hydroelectric plants. Convened a workshop to consider the environmental and technical issues associated with new hydrokinetic and wave energy technologies. Laboratory and DOE staff participated in numerous workshops, conferences, coordination meetings, planning meetings, implementation meetings, and reviews to transfer the results of DOE-sponsored research to end-users