Essays in Equitable Accessibility, Reliability and Sustainability of Energy Systems
Open AccessAbstractEssays in Equitable Accessibility, Reliability and Sustainability of Energy SystemsToday, the world is faced with multiple challenges, including climate change, pollution and ecological degradation, and political and socio-economic inequalities. An emerging concept to address the challenges of the interdependent nature of environmental and physical systems has been coined, “the food-energy-water systems (FEWS) nexus.” The nexus encompasses multiple spatial and temporal scales and is becoming a prominent approach to address the synergies and tradeoffs that result from human impacts on the ecosystem. The nexus offers a valuable perspective in balancing the interrelated dimensions especially when most sectors are still evaluated in silos or sector-centric approaches. The energy sector, through regional energy planning, takes the forefront of high-level policymaking. There is a constant need to evaluate supply and demand of electricity that necessitates and prioritizes the planning for adequate and reliable energy systems. In a regional setting, decision makers in the energy sector must deal with the questions of dam removal, including hydroelectric facilities, as their removal is gaining attention because of the need to improve the survivability of migratory fish populations. In a local context, recent changes in the energy industry, particularly in policymaking, are leading to the replacement of centralized fossil fuel power generation with decentralization and de-carbonization of the grid. This has caused the rise of community solar projects (CSP), a valuable energy technology alternative in the transition towards clean energy autonomy and grid modernization. Unfortunately, there is a disproportionately slower rate at which this transition is taking place especially with low- and middle-income households. Thus, this dissertation seeks to develop policy guidance and an evaluation methodology to better address the challenges associated with the adoption of community energy systems and the consideration of energy regional planning in the context of the nexus of food, energy, and water systems. This dissertation explores the topics related to the FEWS nexus, equitable access to clean energy, and regional energy planning by addressing the following three interdependent research questions: 1. What is the status of the literature on the FEWS nexus particularly on the dimensions of modeling, boundaries, policies, and the underlying agendas?To explore the FEWS nexus, a comprehensive review analyzed 314 studies to extract modeling approaches, agendas, boundaries, and the policy dimensions. For modeling, there is no generic platform that captures all components without limitations. The analysis provides an overview of modeling approaches according to boundaries and agendas. The next phase of nexus research could prioritize cross-model and boundary efforts. A crucial observation is the limited number of models that incorporate technology adoption and economic implementation. On the core nexus dimensions, there is an important opportunity to include ecosystems, soil health, human health, and waste as key nexus dimensions. Though it is challenging to capture the social and political dynamics in FEWS nexus studies, nonetheless, there are social-policy proxies to consider: (i) stakeholder interactions, (ii) the intersection of access, security, and education, (iii) trade patterns, and (iv) measures of prosperity.2. What are the barriers and opportunities for the adoption of community solar projects? This theme specifically targets two related questions: 1) How can market access to CSPs be expanded? 2) How can equitable access to clean energy through CSPs be achieved particularly for low- and middle-income (LMI) households? In this dissertation, the term ‘energy justice and equity’ refers to energy solutions that are inclusive and affordable to all stakeholders, especially the vulnerable low-and middle-income communities. To address these questions, a three-phased methodology – stakeholder interviews, survey, and workshop – was utilized. First, the leading barriers to adoption include the absence of state and/or federal policies and standards, difficulties in subscribing customers, lack of education, limited financial viability, and the scarcity of locations suitable for installations. Second, the major drivers for adoption are community benefits for resiliency and grid modernization. Financial viability is possible using anchor tenants for mitigating risk, improving the value stack and enhancing sustainability. To unlock the market potential requires addressing six categories of issues: 1) increasing CSPs' generation limits and the use of a portfolio approach to achieve economies of scale through multiple projects; 2) community education and project coordination; 3) incorporating CSPs in grid resiliency and modernization; 4) standardizing CSP policies; 5) mitigating the financial burdens of interconnection; and 6) designing dynamic contracts with anchor tenants that mitigate subscription issues. 3. What are the impacts on system reliability and climate change when integrating more renewables into regional energy systems, and to what extent is the economics of the system informed by uncertainty in policy?A multi-model methodology was used to evaluate grid adequacy, climate change performance and impact of uncertain carbon policy on energy portfolios. As dam removal is gaining support, the Columbia River Basin (CRB) was chosen as a case study to evaluate the substitution of four Lower Snake River dams. The methodology enables the evaluation of grid adequacy, climate change performance, and the financial uncertainty of the substituting portfolios under carbon taxation. The goal is to assist decision makers in identifying substitution preferences that inform risk management with the aid of stochastic dominance. The outcome is a carbon tax strategy region that suggests preferences under different tax regimes for risk-averse decision makers. As the methodology includes a multi-criteria selection process, the platform facilitates all stakeholders’ perspectives in their objective to choose the ideal substitution portfolio based on adequacy, climate change, and risk management. The outcome of the case study suggests that policymakers should consider a carbon tax between $86 and $131 to incentivize a portfolio that reduces emissions, or a value greater than $135 to incentivize a portfolio that significantly reduces emissions.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
HirshBarGai_gwu_0075A_15781.pdf | 2022-03-06 | Open Access |
|