Generation

Find papers and presentations on generation generally, or specifically on the topics of coal, distributed energy resources, natural gas, nuclear power, renewable energy, and resource adquacy.

Coal

Salovaara, Jackson. “Coal to Natural Gas: Fuel Switching and CO2 Emissions Reduction.” Applied Mathematics, 2011.Abstract

US natural gas prices fell in 2009 on account of weak demand and increased supply from shale gas production. The fall in prices led to a reduction in coal- fired electricity generation and a concomitant increase in natural gas-fired electricity generation. Low natural gas prices conjoined with static coal prices and underutilized natural gas power plant capacity to create an environment primed for switching from natural gas to coal. Due to differences in chemical make-ups and plant efficiencies between the two fuels, this switching led to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. This thesis models how the fuel switching effect occurred and how it translated to an emissions reduction. It also analyzes several hypothetical policies aimed at augmenting the effect to achieve further reductions in emissions. Throughout the analysis, it considers the other impacts— environmental, human health, and economic—of a large-scale shift from a fuel

system based on coal to one based on natural gas.

Interconnection, PJM. Coal Capacity at Risk for Retirement in PJM: Potential Impacts of the Finalized EPA Cross State Air Pollution Rule and Proposed National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. PJM Interconnection. PJM Interconnection, 2011.Abstract

In its role of maintaining reliability and resource adequacy, PJM has been following the finalized Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)1 and proposed National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP),2 issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), affecting electric generating units, and coal-fired units in particular. PJM has been in the process of estimating the impacts of these rules on the amount of coal-fired generating capacity that may retire, rather than install pollution control retrofits by examining the retrofit status of coal capacity by the age and size of coal-fired units.

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RP - LOP - Category - Distributed Energy Resources

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Natural Gas

Salovaara, Jackson. “Coal to Natural Gas: Fuel Switching and CO2 Emissions Reduction.” In, 2011.Abstract
Salovaara, Jackson. "Coal to Natural Gas: Fuel Switching and CO2 Emissions Reduction." Award-winning thesis to Applied Mathematics in partial fulfillment of the honors requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Harvard College Cambridge, Massachusetts. Recipient of the Jon Dunlap Prize awarded by the Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School, and The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Prize for the Best Senior Thesis, award by the Harvard Energy and Environment Program at the Harvard Kennedy School.
World Shale Gas Resources.” In, 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract
World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions Outside the United States. Introductory website and Report. Advanced Resources International, Inc., sponsored by the US Energy Information Administration. April 5, 2011.

Nuclear Power

Bradford, Peter. “Testimony Before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Transportation,Infrastructure, and Nuclear Safety: Renewal of the Price Anderson Act.” U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Nuclear Safety, 2002.Abstract
Bradford, Peter (Regulatory Assistance Project). Testimony Before the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Nuclear Safety supporting Renewal of the Price Anderson Act. 23 January 2002. 4 pages.

Renewable Energy

Hogan, William W.Electricity Markets and the Clean Power Plan.” In, 2015. Publisher's VersionAbstract
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule that defines a broad and complicated set of standards for controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from affected electricity generating units. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015b) The proposed national average reduction by 2030 is 32% from the 2005 level of emissions, about half of which has already occurred. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015j) The rules for new power plants are relatively straightforward and imply little more than reinforcing the current economic choice of natural gas over coal fired generation, given current projections for the price of natural gas. The Clean Power Plan rules for existing power plants arise under a different section of the Clean Air Act and present a more complicated picture. The result has implications for the nature and degree of future limitations on carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector. In addition, some versions of the possible implementation plans could have material implications for the operations of Regional Transmission Organizations under the regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The purpose here is to highlight some of the possible directions for relevant policies of electricity system operators.

Resource Adequacy

The Economic Ramifications of Resource Adequacy.” In, 2013.Abstract
Eastern Interconnection States' Planning Council. The Economic Ramifications of Resource Adequacy." White paper. Astrape Consulting for EISPC and NARUC, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. January 2013."