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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4

Smart CO2 Transport-Route Planning Tool

NETL has developed the Smart CO2 Transport-Route Planning Tool to help inform energy transport planning and development. The stand-alone, open-source tool applies data-driven, geospatial and machine-learning informed logic to identify potential routes or evaluate existing corridors based on current legislation, best construction practices, and more. Underpinning the interactive tool, is NETL’s CO2 Transport Planning Database (https://edx.netl.doe.gov/dataset/ccs-pipeline-route-planning-database-v1). This geospatial resource contains more than 70 gigabytes of data representing more than 60 critical factors for the spatial routing of CO2 transport, including land use requirements, existing infrastructure, high consequence areas, and natural hazards.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law↗

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 13: Risk Retirement and Data Transferability for Marine Renewable Energy

Commercial-scale marine renewable energy (MRE) developments continue to progress slowly, in part because of complicated consenting/permitting (hereafter consenting) processes that invoke the precautionary principle within environmental legislative frameworks. This can lead to broad, poorly scoped environmental assessments, lengthy and expensive environmental data collection requirements, and extended consenting timelines. Much of this delay is associated with uncertainty about the potential effects of MRE on marine animals and habitats. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-13-risk-retirement

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

2020 NEPA Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Risk Assessment

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) operating repository 654 m below the surface in a thick salt formation in southeastern New Mexico. The DOE disposes transuranic (TRU) waste produced from atomic energy defense activities at the WIPP facility. A portion of the waste shipped to the WIPP facility contains TRU radionuclides co-mingled with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which fall under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This report documents the risks of PCBs co-mingled with TRU waste (hereafter designated as PCB/TRU waste) designated for disposal at the WIPP facility. This analysis is input to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment by the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) for the proposed increase of the WIPP facility disposal area to include additional waste panels (but not to increase the legislated WIPP volume). This analysis is not a compliance calculation to support a certification renewal nor does it support a planned change request (PCR) or planned change notice (PCN) to be submitted to the EPA.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

U.S. Renewables Portfolio Standards 2021 Status Update: Early Release

Berkeley Lab’s annual status report on U.S. renewables portfolio standards (RPS) provides an overview of key trends associated with U.S. state RPS policies. The report, published in slide-deck form, describes recent legislative revisions, key policy design features, compliance with interim targets, past and projected impacts on renewables development, and compliance costs. The 2021 Early Release, published in lieu of a 2020 edition, presents historical data through year-end 2019, with some limited results for the year 2020. Key trends from this edition of the report include the following: Evolution of state RPS programs: States continue to refine and revise their RPS policies. Among other significant changes since the start of 2019, eight states enacted higher RPS targets or created new clean-energy/zero-carbon targets (AZ, DC, MD, NM, NV, VA, WA), in most cases setting targets equal to at least 50% of retail sales. Historical impacts on renewables development: Roughly half of all growth in U.S. renewable electricity (RE) generation and capacity since 2000 is associated with state RPS requirements, though that percentage has declined in recent years, representing 23% of all U.S. RE capacity additions in 2019. However, within particular regions-namely, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic-RPS policies continue to serve a central role in motivating RE growth. Future RPS demand and incremental needs: RPS demand growth through 2030 will require roughly 90 GW of new RE capacity and will require total U.S. non-hydro RE generation to reach 17% of electricity sales (compared to 12% in 2019). Relative to EIA projections, this amounts to roughly one-third of projected RE growth over the next decade. RPS target achievement to-date: States have generally met their interim RPS targets in recent years, with only a few exceptions reflecting unique, state-specific issues. REC pricing trends: Prices for NEPOOL Class I RECs rose steeply over 2019, reaching $40/MWh and remaining at roughly that level over 2020. PJM Tier I REC prices continued to rise at a modest pace over the course of 2020, reaching $10/MWh by year-end. Prices for solar RECs remained relatively stable over 2020, and continue to exhibit wide variation across states, with the highest prices ($200-450/MWh) in NJ, MA, and DC.RPS compliance costs and cost caps: RPS compliance costs in 2019 averaged roughly 2.6% of retail electricity bills in RPS states, compared to 2.3% in 2018, with costs in most states ranging from 0.5% to 4.5% of retail electricity bills.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Upcycled "CO 2 -Negative" Concrete for Construction Functions

Electricity generation from coal-fired power plants represents 25% of total carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from the United States (1.4 billion tons of CO 2 emitted in 2015). In view of upcoming legislation that seeks to limit CO 2 emissions, in support of climate change goals, it is anticipated that such emissions will be (financially) penalized. This is of great consequence to emissions intensive sectors such as coalfired power generation which are expected to be substantially burdened by such penalties.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

North American Renewables Integration Study (NARIS): Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-16-00633

The goal of the study is to help inform and assist power system planning entities, electricity system operators, government energy agencies, legislators and regulators to better understand the planning, engineering, operational, and economic implications of integrating large amounts of wind, solar and hydro energy into the Canadian, US and Mexican electrical systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Business Environment Study (Subtask 5.1)

In 2016, WVR acquired the Wabash Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Plant north of Terre Haute, Indiana. Initially, WVR intended to use the plant to produce ammonia using syngas converted to hydrogen. Part of the business plan was to capture and sequester the CO 2 byproduct with the goal of a net-zero carbon emitting plant. Now, with the demand for clean hydrogen-based power and fuel cell energy, the plant intends to produce power and sell hydrogen as a fuel source, still with the intent to sequester CO 2 and achieve net-zero emissions. The Wabash CarbonSAFE project’s objectives are to establish the feasibility of developing a commercial-scale geological storage complex at the WVR plant in Vigo County, Indiana, for storage of 50 million tonnes or more of CO 2 . The plant is expected to produce up to 2 million tons (1.82 million tonnes) of CO 2 annually as a byproduct of hydrogen production. Wabash CarbonSAFE has examined the feasibility of geologic storage of the CO 2 in the Potosi Dolomite Storage Complex of the Illinois Basin via an onsite characterization well at the WVR plant site. This document explores the business requirements to undertake such a project, outlining the outside influences on a business venture such as legislation, legal, regulatory, and business climate factors. This document then discusses the CO 2 source, potential partner sources, and the business financials that allow CCS to be commercially viable for Wabash Valley Resources.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Information Products & Communication Materials for SSEB, SGA, SLC and Partners [Slides]

Contents include the following: 1) Southeastern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB)–Southern States Energy Board's 48th Annual Meeting, August 8, 2008; 2) Southern States Energy Board Carbon Management Program SSEB Associate Members Meeting, August 21, 2009; 3) Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Demonstration Project, August 21, 2009; 4) Clean Energy in the Southern Region, August 27, 2010; 5) Carbon Management–Southern Leadership of a Regional Partnership, October 17, 2011; 6) Southeastern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership "Knowledge Sharing", August 10, 2012; 7) Southeastern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership; 8) Site Visit by Southern Legislative Group, July 30, 2013; 9) SECARB Awards Anthropogenic Test, March 4, 2014; 10) Southern Company/MHI Ltd. 500 TPD CCS Demonstration; 11) SECARB Anthropogenic Test Project Assessment, March 4-5, 2014; 12) Advanced Monitoring Technologies SECARB Phase III CO 2 Storage Citronell, Alabama, March 4, 2014; 13) Geomechanics at Cranfield, March 5, 2014; 14) Gulf Coast Carbon Center Near-Surface Update, March 4-5, 2014; 15) Monitoring Design Best Practices, March 5, 2014; 16) Special Projects–Carbon Management Program, 2015; 17) Special Projects, November 2-3, 2016; 18) Carbon Management Program Carbon Capture & Storage Projects, September 24, 2017; 19) Remarks Before the 58th Annual Meeting of the Executive Committee, September 16, 2018; 20) Annual Business Session, September 24, 2019; and 21) Recent Activities & 2019-2020 Elections Insights, February 7, 2020.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

A Survey of Federal and State-Level Solar System Decommissioning Policies in the United States

In the United States, cumulative installed utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached more than 60 gigawatts (GW)dc at the end of 2020 (Davis et al. 2021b). Federal and state renewable energy and net-zero emissions policies will continue to drive solar development in the United States with installed utility-scale PV projected to quadruple (240 GWdc) by 2030 (Davis et al. 2021a; Heeter 2014). Although more than 75% of all U.S. installed utility-scale PV came online in the last 5 years, federal, state, and local governments are planning for system decommissioning (Davis et al. 2021b). Our research found that as of April 2021, one federal agency, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and 15 U.S. states have solar decommissioning policies in place. North Carolina is also in the process of drafting solar decommissioning regulations, and at least 4 states (Maine, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas) proposed solar decommissioning bills in the 2021 legislative session. This report provides a survey and brief overview of both federal and U.S. statewide solar decommissioning policies, and a discussion of some of the potential impacts different policy designs may have on utility-scale solar development, including impacts that might influence construction timelines and over project costs.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

State Indicators for Advancing Demand Flexibility and Energy Efficiency in Buildings - Part I [Slides]

This slide deck report identifies objectives and key indicators for state activities that advance demand flexibility in buildings — legislation, utility regulatory proceedings, executive orders and programs. It also illustrates progress to date and identifies trends, gaps, and opportunities. Part I of the report focuses on (1) demand response and (2) energy efficiency targeted to reduce peak demand or integrate with demand response. This section covers building energy codes, appliance and equipment standards, resource standards, utility planning, utility programs, advanced metering infrastructure and meter data, rate design, state programs, state energy planning, and related state policies and regulations. Part II of the report addresses traditional energy efficiency indicators, including utility and state programs, codes, and standards that support annual energy savings. See the additional links for an infographic, library of cited state documents on demand flexibility, and presentation to the NASEO-NARUC Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Working Group.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Renewable Portfolio Standard Assessment for Alaska's Railbelt

This memorandum for the Governor of Alaska evaluates the technical feasibility of reaching 80% renewable electricity by 2040 in the Railbelt corridor of Alaska, which represents 75% of Alaska's electric load. This analysis was developed to inform renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) legislation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Implementation Strategy - Efficiency Standards and Labeling Programs in Uganda

In 2016, the development of an Energy Efficiency Roadmap (USAID, 2017) undertaken by Agency for International Development (USAID) showed that an energy-saving potential of 310 MW by 2030 was possible at a cost lower than the current supply of electricity. However, the energy efficiency potential is spread out across many technologies and requires the establishment of enabling policies to stimulate efficient use of energy. Chief among these is the establishment of energy- efficiency standards and labeling (EESL) for electric equipment as indicated by Uganda national energy policy legislation (MEMD, 2002). This report first includes an assessment of energy consumption in the residential sector to identify priority products of focus for the EESL program followed by an assessment of the legal and administrative capacity needs of Ugandan institutions to operate and enforce Uganda’s EESL program.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

The Role of State Utility Regulators in a Just and Reasonable Energy Transition: Examining Regulatory Approaches to the Economic Impacts of Coal Retirements

The ongoing trend of coal retirements has disproportionately affected the socioeconomic health of communities where power plants are located. For many public utility commissions, these impacts have led to important questions around the scope of PUCs’ statutory authority to analyze, consider and mitigate losses to host communities within their role as utility regulators. Due largely to variations in state legislative charges, commissions have taken different approaches to articulating what lies within the public interest.This report examines the authority of PUCs across the country to consider non-energy economic impacts beyond direct ratepayer effects, and summarizes approaches that PUCs, utilities and other stakeholders have used to mitigate the economic fallout of coal retirements, specifically.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

California Energy Systems for the 21st Century (CES-21) Program, CRADA TC02200 (Final Report)

The following report representsthe culmination of a five-year Cybersecurity Research and Development (R&D) program performed by California’s Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and funded by the IOUs’ electricity ratepayers as authorized by California Legislation and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The cybersecurity R&D, which was intensely technical in nature, was broken into three major workstreams: 1. The development of a modeling & simulation platform, to explore the potential effects of various threat and response scenarios at grid scale; 2. The establishment of a physical testbed with separate substation instances from each of the IOUs, to evaluate threats and responses on actual substation equipment; 3. The development of a research package consisting of several capabilities to support the industry’s evolution towards automated threat response and other next-generation cybersecurity techniques Throughout the program, there was extensive collaboration between the program team and national laboratories, federal departments, academic institutions and industry organizations. Several of the tools developed through the program have been made available to the open source community, to enable faster adoption and continued development of important cybersecurity capabilities. While this program began to develop much of the foundation for automated threat response, much work remains to be done, and this report recommends a series of next steps. While the Executive Summary below has been simplified as much as possible, the very technical nature of the subject matter would make further reduction difficult without causing meaning to be lost. Due to the sensitive nature of the research, some topics are intentionally covered at a high level to protect the research and therefore the electric grid and customers of California and the Nation. For further detail, clarification or questions we suggest discussion with the program team.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Irrigation Modernization Task 4: Accelerating Energy Solutions (FY2022 Final Report)

This report offers insights on energy solutions for irrigation modernization that serve the needs of farmers as well as residents and industry in the local community. Solutions are found in the irrigation districts where local generation from renewable energy sources – solar, hydro, and wind – can be combined with energy storage and customer loads. These combined resources configured in microgrids can lower costs during peak loads and provide resiliency by maintaining electricity supply during outages. The goal of this project, as stated in the FY2022 AOP, is to promote realization of energy solutions that are tailored to physical location, community, infrastructure, and energy value streams. Further, it is to develop examples of how to increase value of, and overcome barriers to, energy solutions in the context of irrigation modernization. In pursuit of that goal, the project looked at options for: 1) Reducing the cost of energy consumed in irrigation systems, 2) Increasing the revenue from surplus power generation, and 3) Deploying new power generation configured as part of a local microgrid. Potential solutions to reducing energy costs and increasing surplus power revenue revolve around addressing regulatory and legal constraints tied to how power is purchased by and sold to the irrigator or irrigation district. Some headway was made in identifying barriers and ways to push utilities to be more accommodating to distributed energy sources; however, for the most part, real progress hinges on changes at the regulatory and legislative level. Deployment of local, renewable generation systems can be implemented provided the economics of the project and the location are favorable. In concert with Famers Conservation Alliance and Energy Trust of Oregon, a number of approaches were studied in the past year, including off-grid solar powered pumps, grid-tied community solar projects, and in-conduit canal hydropower systems. Ultimately three viable projects were identified: 1) North Unit Irrigation District/City of Redmond, Oregon Critical Facility Microgrid – offers combined in-conduit hydro and solar power generation. 2) Wallowa County/Joseph, Oregon Irrigation System Upgrades – centered on upgrades to a non-powered dam that will add a turbine as well as in-conduit power in canal feeders downstream. 3) Medford, Oregon Wastewater Treatment Plant Biogas Cogeneration System – centered on building out biogas storage and grid upgrades to power the plant, sell excess power, and provide emergency backup power (supplanting a diesel generator). Each of these projects has characteristics that broaden the understanding of the value of microgrids employing renewable energy to achieve resiliency and net-zero carbon goals. The first two projects are centered on new hydropower systems. Although the Medford project is only tangentially tied to an irrigation district, it was selected for study analysis as it was the only one mature enough (with sufficient data) to complete an analysis within this project year. Thus, we chose to move forward developing a case study, in concert with the Community Water-Power Resilience project, to demonstrate a method for evaluating such projects. Essentially, this case study serves as a template for studies to be carried out next year that more directly involve irrigation system hydropower, e.g., the project at the Wallowa County/Joseph, Oregon Irrigation System. Lastly, it is recognized that the locations and case studies in this report are all located in Oregon. We recognize this as a limitation. While the intent is not to ignore other states or regions, this result is driven by the fact that we have cultivated a collaboration with non-profit entities in Oregon that focus on these topics – Farmers Conservation Alliance and Energy Trust of Oregon. These partners were central to identifying projects that may be good fits for this program. A goal in the coming year is to establish collaboration with entities in other states/regions that, similarly, can connect us to potential projects in their geographic area. The potential benefits from the WPTO’s support for demonstration projects as energy solutions in irrigation districts include: (1) Alternative power supplies for communities and farms using renewable, carbon-free energy resources, (2) Cost savings for electricity for communities and farms, (3) Resiliency of power supplies for critical loads when electricity from the grid is not available, (4) Resiliency of power supplies for critical infrastructure in the event of catastrophic events, and (5) Demonstration of irrigation modernization projects that provide resilience and a reduced carbon footprint to irrigation districts and nearby communities. These deployments can serve as vanguards/archetypes spurring similar projects in other districts and states.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Status of State Community Solar Program Caps

As of May 2022, at least 18 states and Washington, D.C., included caps on their community solar programs. Most of these program caps are capacity-based, meaning that they limit the program size by capacity (i.e., the number of megawatts of energy produced by participating projects). In general, these programs are at the state level and are developed based on legislative mandates. Community solar deployment has been concentrated in a limited number of states. Of the top 10 states with community solar deployment, 5 have program caps and 5 are uncapped. In states with program caps, installed community solar capacity ranges from 7% to 40% of the program cap.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

U.S. State Renewables Portfolio & Clean Electricity Standards: 2023 Status Update [Slides]

This report provides an overview and status update on U.S. state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) and has been expanded from previous editions to also cover 100% clean electricity standards (CES) adopted by a growing number of states. The report, published in slide-deck form along with accompanying data files, describes recent legislative revisions, key policy design features, compliance with interim targets, past and projected impacts on clean electricity development, and compliance costs. The 2023 edition presents historical data through year-end 2022 and projections out to 2050. Key trends from this edition of the report include the following: -Evolution of state RPS and CES programs: States continue to refine and revise their RPS policies, often by adopting higher targets and/or broader CES policies. Among the 29 states plus DC with an RPS, 16 states have RPS targets of at least 50% of retail sales, and 17 states have a 100% CES or RPS target. -Historical impacts on renewables development: Roughly half of all growth in U.S. renewable electricity (RE) generation and capacity since 2000 is associated with state RPS requirements, though that percentage has declined in recent years, representing 30% of all U.S. RE capacity additions in 2022. Within some regions, particularly the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, RPS policies play a more central role in motivating RE growth. -Future RPS and CES demand and incremental needs: RPS and CES policies will require roughly 300 terawatt-hours (TWh) of additional clean electricity supply by 2030 and 800 TWh by 2050, requiring total U.S. non-hydro RE generation to reach 28% of electricity sales by 2050 (compared to 17% today). This amounts to roughly one-quarter of EIA’s projected RE growth through 2050. -RPS target achievement to-date: States have generally met their interim RPS targets in recent years, with only a few exceptions reflecting unique, state-specific issues. Most CES targets are not yet in force. -Renewable energy certificate (REC) pricing trends: Prices for NEPOOL Class I RECs remained at roughly $\$40$ /MWh over the past year, just below alternative compliance payment (ACP) rates in the larger state markets, while PJM Tier I REC prices continued to rise, reaching $\$30$ /MWh by year-end. Prices for solar RECs (or SRECs) remained relatively stable, and continue to exhibit wide variation across states, with the highest prices ($\$200-450$ /MWh) in NJ, MA, and DC. -RPS compliance costs: RPS compliance costs average roughly 3.5% of retail electricity bills across RPS states, though vary widely from state to state, with the highest costs (8-12% of retail bills) in states with solar carve-outs and high SREC prices.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Overview of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) Home Energy Rebate Tool

The IRA Home Energy Rebate Tool (Tool) provides if/then analysis on the impact of two provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); 50121 - Home Energy Performance-Based Whole-House Rebates (Home Efficiency Rebates or HOMES Program) and 50122 - High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates or High-Efficiency Electric Appliances Rebates Program). The Tool can generate realistic scenarios based on the legislative text. The results of the Tool should not be interpreted as forecasts or predictions of what will happen for individual households, States or the nation. This overview provides a high level summary of the data inputs and methods.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗