1 / 25

Marc Santos 2008 ASME WISE Intern University of Massachusetts Amherst

Regional Emission-free Technology Implementation (RETI): Diversifying the U.S. Electricity Portfolio. Marc Santos 2008 ASME WISE Intern University of Massachusetts Amherst. Overview. Climate Change Action Issue Definition Status of US Electricity Portfolio Transition Options

stacy
Download Presentation

Marc Santos 2008 ASME WISE Intern University of Massachusetts Amherst

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Regional Emission-free Technology Implementation (RETI): Diversifying the U.S. Electricity Portfolio Marc Santos 2008 ASME WISE Intern University of Massachusetts Amherst

  2. Overview • Climate Change Action • Issue Definition • Status of US Electricity Portfolio • Transition Options • Electricity Portfolio Projections • Recommendations

  3. Climate Change Action • In 2007 report: UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) • “Warming of the climate system is Unequivocal” • Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 60-80% • Sept 2007: President Bush states climate action needed • 110th Congress produces 195 pieces of climate change legislation • Both Presidential candidates support a cap on GHG emissions

  4. Rise in Electricity • Energy Information Administration states electricity will increase by 30% by 2030 • 1.1% increase per year will mean 45% increase by 2050 • 120 million digital converter boxes = half refrigerator • Plasma TVs use 3-4 times more power • Cell phone, laptop, and video game plug-in power supplies have 40-50% power losses • Potentially plug-in hybrid vehicles

  5. Issue Definition • GHG emissions should be reduced to 80% of current levels by 2050. • US electricity demand to increase 45% by 2050. Can the U.S. meet this amount of emission-free generation capacity by 2050? And, if so how?

  6. Why Focus on Electricity? • Electricity sector is the largest producer of CO2

  7. Current US Electricity Portfolio • Mostly fossil fuels, especially coal • No new nuclear facilities built for 30 years • Natural gas has been largest recent growth • Non-hydroelectric renewables are minimal 2006 production: 4065 billion kilowatt hours

  8. Regional Electricity Use

  9. Current Non-Emitting Technologies • Nuclear • Hydroelectric • Geothermal • Wind • Solar • Biomass • Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)

  10. Potential Renewables

  11. Current Population Distribution Energy production should be regional

  12. Evaluating Existing Projections • Energy Information Administration (EIA) • 2008 Annual Energy Outlook for 2030 • Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) • 2008 “Prism” Full Portfolio Projection for 2030 • International Energy Agency (IEA) • Energy Technology Perspectives Blue Map for 2050

  13. Energy Information Administration • Increase in coal use • No CCS technology • Renewables grow slightly • New nuclear plants are built to meet 19% 2008 Annual Energy Outlook projection for 2030

  14. Electric Power Research Institute • CCS is developed for fossil fuels • Nuclear grows substantially • Renewables grow more rapidly than EIA projection PRISM projection for 2030

  15. International Energy Agency Derived from 2008ENERGY TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES Scenarios Strategies to 2050

  16. Regional Emission-Free Technology Implementation (RETI) Scenario • Adapting the IEA global projections for the US domestic electricity portfolio results in: • 25% nuclear • 46% renewable • Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Biomass, Geothermal • 50% CCS technology for fossil fuels • End-Use efficiency

  17. Regional Emission-free Technology Implementation (RETI)

  18. RETI Projected Results for 2050 2050 RETI 2050 RETI scenario • W/ CCS we reach a 73% reduction of 2006 emission levels.

  19. Development Needed for RETI • Large increase in Nuclear, Wind, and Solar capacities

  20. Hurdles to Overcome • Nuclear • Reprocessing and waste disposal • Rebuilding infrastructure • Renewables • Large scale energy storage • Advanced transmission systems “smart grids” • System reliability • CCS (Fossil fuels) • Sequestration of Carbon

  21. Recommendations Emission-free Technology Advancement • Implement a national emission standard which allows for regional flexibility • Implement a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) which allows regional portfolio development • Continue production tax credits for investment of renewable technologies. • Allocate a substantial percentage of R & D funding to clean power generation technologies without specific inclusion or exclusion of particular emission-free systems.

  22. Recommendations Infrastructure Revision • Upgrade current transmission lines to allow for additional capacity of electricity and efficient grid use • Create new programs to redevelop US infrastructure by increasing worker training and facility construction to support the manufacture and installation of emission-free technologies.

  23. Recommendations Energy Efficiency • Improve financial incentives for energy reduction through economic programs such as federal tax credits and feed in tariffs. • Promote the development of efficiency standards in consumer products.

  24. Questions?

More Related