Low Carbon Technologies Publications
OptimaCCS Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Optimization: North Carolina Case Study
April 2012 - by Darmawan Prasodjo and Lincoln Pratson
The use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the United States will allow coal-fired power generation to remain a major component of the nation’s energy mix while also reducing its carbon emissions. The cost of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) will affect the deployment of CCS, as will the costs for CO2 pipeline transport and underground injection. Transportation and storage costs can be minimized, however, by optimizing the design of the transport system. This report examines how a software program created at Duke, OptimaCCS, maps out cost-efficient options for overall CCS network design, including pipeline routes, necessary pipe diameters and lengths, efficiencies from using shared pipelines, and the impact of sequestration costs.
The Effect of Assessment Scale and Metric Selection on the Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Woody Biomass
February 2012 - by Christopher S. Galik and Robert C. Abt
Recent media attention has focused on the net greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of using woody biomass to produce energy. In particular, a great deal of controversy has erupted over the biomass accounting techniques used to evaluate these GHG effects. This paper informs the present debate over the GHG effects of woody biomass use by conducting a comparative analysis of these accounting techniques. It compares these techniques in a hypothetical scenario in which coal-fired power plants in Virginia add woody biomass to their fuel mix—a process known as “cofiring.” It finds that these techniques strongly influence the calculated GHG balance. The paper also assesses the relative effect of the accounting approach on differences in GHG balance, and concludes with implications for policy makers.
Determining the Least-Cost Investment for an Existing Coal Plant to Comply with EPA Regulations under Uncertainty
February 2012 - by David Hoppock, Dalia Patino Echeverri, and Etan Gumerman
Low natural gas prices and forthcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for coal plant emissions, coal wastes, and thermal-generation cooling systems are forcing utilities and utility regulators to decide whether to retrofit or to retire and replace existing coal plants. To help utility commissions and other interested parties make informed investment decisions and quantify cost risk for ratepayers, researchers at Duke University will make the Risk Based Decision Model available to the public. The model can be employed to estimate the impact of abrupt changes, or “shocks,” and the cost of making “bad” investments that are later abandoned. To demonstrate the model, this paper models the least-cost investment decision for Louisville Gas and Electric’s Mill Creek coal-fired power plant to meet the forthcoming EPA regulations under uncertainty using publicly available data.
Reducing the Energy Penalty Costs of Postcombustion CCS Systems with Amine-Storage
January 2012
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can significantly reduce the amount of CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants, but its high capital and operating costs are an important barrier. In this paper we analyze one alternative to reduce operating costs of amine-based CCS systems.
OptimaCCS Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Optimization: Texas Case Study
December 2011 - by Darmawan Prasodjo and Lincoln Pratson
The use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the United States will allow coal-fired power generation to remain a major component of the nation’s energy mix while also reducing its carbon emissions. The cost of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) will affect the deployment of CCS, as will the costs for CO2 pipeline transport and underground injection. Transportation and storage costs can be minimized, however, by optimizing the design of the transport system. This report examines how a software program created at Duke, OptimaCCS, maps out cost-efficient options for overall CCS network design, including pipeline routes, necessary pipe diameters and lengths, efficiencies from using shared pipelines, and the impact of sequestration costs.
A Cooperative Federalism Framework for CCS Regulation
September 2011 - by Jonas J. Monast, Brooks Rainey Pearson, and Lincoln F. Pratson
Coal is the dominant energy resource used for power generation across the globe, and projections suggest this will remain the case for years to come. While coal is an abundant, low-cost domestic energy resource, it is also the most carbon-intensive of all of the fossil fuels. The amount of existing coal-fired infrastructure, the ongoing importance of coal to the nation’s economy, the political support for the coal industry in the U.S. Congress, and the nation’s need for stable, affordable base load power generation all suggest the ability to capture carbon emissions and store them in underground geologic formations—a process commonly referred to as carbon, capture, and storage, or CCS—will likely be an important option for mitigating climate change.
The United States, China, and the Competition for Clean Energy
July 2011 - by Brian Murray, Jonas Monast, Chi-Jen Yang, and Justine Chow
The United States is now grappling with the challenge of meeting its long-term energy needs in a secure, affordable, reliable, safe, and environmentally sustainable way. In United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations in December 2010, the United States and other countries committed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2020 and fund mitigation and adaptation activities in developing countries. China, now the world’s largest emitter, has agreed to cut its GHG emissions significantly, reflecting its recent commitment to scientifically balanced development and the development and deployment of renewable and other clean energy sources. Since mid-decade, China has gone from being a relatively small player in clean energy to the world’s largest investor. This policy brief poses a number of questions aimed at identifying how best the U.S. should advance its interests with regard to the development and deployment of clean energy technologies, both in absolute terms and relative to China and other major economies.
An Interactive Assessment of Biomass Demand and Availability in the Southeastern United States
March 2011 - by Christopher S. Galik and Robert C. Abt
The following report evaluates the implications of biomass use at multiple levels of demand and under various policy scenarios across the southeastern United States. It represents the culmination of a four month joint research effort between North Carolina State University, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, and Environmental Defense Fund. It provides background on the methodology used to conduct the analysis, as well as an overview of an associated Biomass Demand Interface Tool that can be used to view the results. Collectively, these allow for the simultaneous evaluation of dozens of demand scenarios on multiple metrics of concern, thus providing the beginnings of a comprehensive overview of the range of impacts that increasing demand for forest biomass may have in a given state or region.
Transportation Infrastructure Spending and Climate Outcomes: Effects of Reinvesting Transportation Carbon Fee Revenues in Transportation Infrastructure
December 2010 - by Craig Raborn
Renewable Energy in the South
December 2010 - by Marilyn A. Brown, Etan Gumerman, Youngsun Baek, Cullen Morris, Yu Wang
Transitioning away from increasingly scarce, carbon-intensive and polluting fossil fuels is one of the key challenges facing modern society. Prominent among the energy supply options, with inherently low life-cycle CO2 emissions, is a suite of renewable technologies that represent an opportunity to diversify energy resources. This report builds on a short policy brief released last summer and provides an in-depth assessment of the scope of renewable energy resources in the South and their economic impacts on electricity rates and utility bills in the region.
Cost of Wind: Comparing Distant Wind Resources to Local Resources in the Midwestern United States
October 2010
Published in the October 2010 issue of Environmental Science and Technology
Renewable Energy in the South: A Policy Brief
July 2010 - by Marilyn A. Brown, Etan Gumerman, Youngsun Baek, Cullen Morris, Yu Wang
This working paper assesses the economic potential of renewable electricity generation in the South under alternative policy scenarios. Using a customized version of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS), we examine the impact of 1) expanded and updated estimates of renewable resources, 2) a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), and 3) a Carbon-Constrained Future (CCF). Under the Expanded Renewables Scenario, renewable electricity generation doubles the output of the Reference forecast for the South. If a Federal RPS is imposed or the policies represented by our CCF scenario are implemented, we estimate that 15% to 30% of the South’s electricity could be generated from renewable sources. Among the renewable resources, wind, biomass, and hydro are anticipated to provide the most generation potential. As the integration of renewable sources expands through the modeled time horizon, wind gradually out-competes biomass in the renewable electricity market. Cost-effective customer-owned renewables could also contribute significantly to electricity generation by 2030 in the South, under supportive policies.
The Role of Public Lands in a Low-Carbon Economy
March 2010 - by Christopher S. Galik, Joseph L. Grinnell, David M. Cooley
Integrating Biofuels into Comprehensive Climate Policy - An Overview of Biofuels Policy Options
November 2009 - by Christopher Galik, Wyley Hodgson, Craig Raborn and Patrick Bean
Integrating Biofuels into Comprehensive Climate Policy
November 2009 - by Christopher Galik, Wyley Hodgson, Craig Raborn, Patrick Bean
An Overview of Biofuels Policy Options
Policy Options for the Conservation Reserve Program in a Low-Carbon Economy
June 2009 - by Justin S. Baker and Christopher S. Galik
Forest Biomass Supply in the Southeastern United States - Implications for Industrial Roundwood and Bioenergy Production
March 2009 - by Christopher S. Galik, Robert C. Abt and Yun Wu
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