The Importance of Alternative Energy and its Benefits

The interest in alternative energy, and alternative fuel transportation, in particular, is not new. Alternative fuels and alternatively fuelled vehicles have been developed and tested for decades.

Local governments can dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing or directly generating electricity from clean, renewable sources. They can set an example by generating energy locally, buying green energy, or buying renewable energy.

Options for using renewable energy include:

Generating renewable energy on-site using a system or device at the location where the power is used (e.g., PV panels on a state building, geothermal heat pumps, biomass-fuelled combined heat and power).
Purchasing green power through renewable energy certificates (RECs) — also known as green tags, green energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates — that represent environmental attributes of electricity generated from renewable resources.
Purchasing renewable energy from an electric utility through a green pricing or green marketing program, where buyers pay a small premium in exchange for electricity generated locally from green power resources.

Benefits of Renewable Energy

Environmental and economic benefits of using renewable energy include:

Generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduces some types of air pollution
Diversifying energy supply and reducing dependence on imported fuels
Creating economic development and jobs in manufacturing, installation, and more

Implementing On-site Renewable Energy Projects

On-site power generation provides local governments with the most direct access to renewable energy. However, local governments considering on-site generation may face possible technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. To overcome these challenges, local governments can:

Assess the availability of local renewable resources
Consider the costs of different renewable technologies
Examine the aggregate costs and benefits of on-site green power
Consider permitting requirements for locations where the facility could be sited
Involve local stakeholders, particularly concerning siting
Assess available sources of financing and other incentives

Utilizing Mongolia for its natural resources, land, and over 300 sunny days per year, Karvuon LLC is planning to construct a wide variety of energy-producing plants where renewable sources will be the target. With a JORC-confirmed 327 million tons of coal deposits, Karvuon LLC plans to start with this traditional energy source in order to construct and operate an industrial park in central Mongolia. Our goal includes: