Initial Scoping of Energy Projects on the Back of an Envelope, Other Webinars

2019 Tribal Energy Webinar Series

DATE WEBINAR TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
April 24 Fundamentals of the Tribal Energy Industry

Energy development is a powerful tool to help bring economic growth, jobs, and independence to tribal communities. As such, there is significant interest in pursuing energy development in Indian Country—but difficulty understanding energy jargon or energy concepts can be a barrier to getting started. This webinar will provide individuals with an introduction to energy and familiarize attendees with important concepts and terminology. Attendees will also learn about publicly available resources that can help build their energy knowledge base.
May 29 Initial Scoping of Energy Projects on the Back of an Envelope

It can be challenging to identify suitable tribal energy projects and decide how to initiate their development unless you have a general idea of the physical requirements (e.g., land), cost, and performance characteristics of various technologies. This webinar will provide attendees with tips and insights on how to perform simple, fast, and effective initial scoping of potential projects. Attendees will learn how to answer questions such as: How much energy can this project make? Approximately how much land will this project require? What will be the approximate capital and operating costs? They will also walk away with an overview of the tools available to assist in answering those questions.
June 26 Jobs and Economic Development from Tribal Energy Projects

Among the benefits of energy project development to tribal communities are the jobs and economic development that come with local investment. This webinar will share tools and methods tribes can use to estimate the jobs and broader economic benefits of energy projects. The webinar will also feature case studies from tribes that have successfully created jobs and economic development through energy development.
July 31 Energy Considerations When Designing and Constructing New Tribal Buildings

The most cost-effective time to reduce a building’s energy consumption is during the design phase. At this stage, energy-saving features can be integrated into the design in ways that are much more economical than a post construction retrofit/remodel. This webinar will discuss many opportunities to reduce the thermal and electrical energy cost of operating a building, from passive solar design and energy efficient technologies to building materials and various types of certifications and building codes. Case studies will highlight successes and lessons learned from tribes that have recently built new commercial and residential buildings.
August 28 Unique Aspects of Energy Development on Tribal Lands: Land Leases, Service Line, and Right-of-Way Agreements on Tribal Lands

Land lease, service line, and right-of-way agreements are key to developing energy projects on tribal lands. This webinar will explore some of the nuances of these agreements with the goal of giving attendees greater understanding of not only their importance in the development process but how they work—including how right-of-way agreements can serve as valuable tools for tribes looking to leverage their land ownership for regional influence and/or financial benefit.
September 25 Tribal Energy Business Case Studies and Success Factors

Case studies can be both very informative and inspirational. This webinar will delve into the details of successful tribal energy development structures and examine how those business structures impacted project financing and development. Presenters will focus on identifying key decisions and approaches that contributed to their success.
October 30 U.S. DOE Programs, Resources, and Opportunities for Tribal Energy Support

DOE has many offices and functions. Beyond the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, what other DOE offices, programs, resources, and opportunities may be helpful for tribes? This webinar will provide attendees with an introduction to a variety of DOE offices and programs that may not be known or well understood by tribes. Join us to learn about additional resources that may be of value to tribal communities seeking to develop their energy resources.
December 11 Tribal Microgrids, Energy Storage, and Resilience

In recent years, tribes have shown increased interest in microgrids. Among the reasons for this interest is the potential for microgrids to help tribal communities improve resilience, use local energy resources, and control energy costs. However, the potential benefits of microgrids are highly dependent on the variables of each specific situation. This webinar will provide attendees with information that can assist tribal governments and project leaders in identifying microgrid opportunities suited to their unique situations. Attendees will also learn the reasons other tribes have embarked on developing microgrids.

Climate change visualized: How Earth’s temperature has changed since 1970

Data: NASA GISS; Graphic: Harry Stevens/Axios

2018 was Earth’s 4th-warmest year on record, coming in behind 2016, the planet’s warmest recorded year, as well as 2015 and 2017, according to information released by NOAA, NASA and the U.K. Met Office.

Why it matters: The yearly rankings don’t tell the whole story of long-term climate change, since natural variability can still push or pull an individual year up or down the rankings. However, the overall picture is growing starker with each passing year. Nine of the 10 warmest years on record since reliable data began in 1880 have occurred since 2005. At the same time, greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels — as well as deforestation and intensive agriculture — have skyrocketed to levels not seen in more than 800,000 years.

The latest: An unusually warm April followed a top 3 hottest March, and indicates that the Earth is headed for yet another top 3 warmest year on record. In addition, Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low for April, NOAA reports. This follows recent news that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere edged past 415 parts per million for the first time in human history, likely becoming the highest level on record in at least 3 million years.

By the numbers: For 2018, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.42°F (0.79°C) above the 20th century average, according to NOAA.

  • According to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), global temperatures in 2018 were 1.5°F (0.83°C) warmer than the 1951–1980 mean.
  • Analyses from the U.K. Met Office and the World Meteorological Organization also ranked 2018 among the top 4 warmest years on record.
  • Each group relies on similar surface temperature data but uses different methods and baselines to fill in gaps between observing stations.
  • According to NOAA, the annual global land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of  0.13°F (0.07°C) per decade since 1880. However, this rate has more than doubled, to 0.31°F (0.17°C) per decade, since 1981.

The big picture: “The impacts of long-term global warming are already being felt — in coastal flooding, heat waves, intense precipitation and ecosystem change,” Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA GISS, said in a press release.

  • Since the 1880s, the average global surface temperature has risen about 2°F (1°C), which Schmidt — along with the vast majority of climate scientists — attributes largely to increased emissions of greenhouse gases due to human activities.
  • Increasing average temperatures are most pronounced in the Arctic, where temperatures have jumped at more than twice the rate of the rest of the globe, triggering sea ice and land-based glaciers to melt.
  • Record high annual temperatures over land surfaces were measured across much of Europe, New Zealand, and parts of the Middle East and Russia. No land areas were record cold for the year, NOAA found.

Between the lines: Global average surface temperatures are edging closer to the 1.5°C aspirational warming target contained in the Paris climate agreement, which many low-lying island nations see as key to their survival, but the world’s energy system is marching in the wrong direction for limiting global warming’s severity.

  • Global carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas ticked up in 2018, to the highest levels in recorded history, according to the Global Carbon Project and the International Energy Agency.
  • A separate report showed that U.S. carbon emissions from energy — which is the overwhelming cause of planet-warming emissions — jumped by 3.4% last year, ending years of declines.
  • In order to meet the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C goal, global emissions of greenhouse gases would have to fall by 45% by 2030 and reach “net zero” by mid-century.