The assessment of adequacy and security of the energy system requires the detailed knowledge of physical and operational characteristics. In contrast, studies concerning energy transitions employ stylized models that oftentimes ignore the technical properties but have a lasting influence on long-term energy policies. This paper investigates the gap between energy system planning and operational models by linking these two perspectives: (1) a long-term investment model with low spatial resolution and high level of aggregation, and (2) a spatially resolved system security model that captures the interdependences between the backbone of the electric power sector, i.e., the electricity and the gas infrastructures. We assess EU decarbonization pathways of the electricity sector towards 2050 by integrating the investment decisions of the long-term planning model and the safety performance of the resulting system operations via the security assessment model. In a large RES deployment scenario, we investigate two flexibility options: gas power plants and cross-country transmission expansion. Using the integrated model, we analyze how the adequacy and security of supply under extreme short-term operational conditions impact the long-term planning of the energy system and the investment decision-making. We provide country specific recommendations for UK. Results indicate weaknesses in the gas-electricity system and suggest improvements on capacity allocation.
A modeling framework is presented to investigate trade-offs among decarbonization from increased low-carbon electricity generation and electrification of heating and vehicles. The model is broadly applicable but relies on high-fidelity parameterization of existing infrastructure and anticipated electrified loads; this study applies it to New York State where detailed data is available. Trade-offs are investigated between end use electrification and renewable energy deployment in terms of supply costs, generation and storage capacities, renewable resource mix, and system operation. Results indi…
Land-use conflicts may constrain the unprecedented rates of renewable energy deployment required to meet the decarbonization goals of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This paper employs geospatially resolved data and a detailed electricity system capacity expansion model to generate 160 affordable, zero-carbon electricity supply portfolios for the American west and evaluates the land use impacts of each portfolio. Less than 4% of all sites suitable for solar development and 17% of all wind sites appear in this set of portfolios. Of these sites, 53% of solar and 85% of wind sites exhibit high…
The retirement of unabated coal power plants, the plummeting cost of renewable energy technologies, along with more aggressive public policies and regulatory reforms, are occurring at an unprecedented speed to decarbonize the power and energy systems towards the 2030 and 2050 climate goals. This article aims to establish a carbon-oriented framework to examine the role carbon emission is playing within a power grid that is rapidly transitioning to an integrated multi-energy system. We divide the carbon flows in the multi-energy systems into three stages: carbon allowances initialization/allocat…
There is growing interest in hydrogen (H$_2$) use for long-duration energy storage in a future electric grid dominated by variable renewable energy (VRE) resources. Modelling the role of H$_2$ as grid-scale energy storage, often referred as "power-to-gas-to-power (P2G2P)" overlooks the cost-sharing and emission benefits from using the deployed H$_2$ production and storage assets to also supply H$_2$ for decarbonizing other end-use sectors where direct electrification may be challenged. Here, we develop a generalized modelling framework for co-optimizing energy infrastructure investment and ope…
Decarbonization of the electricity sector is one of the major measures in slowing down the pace of climate change. In this paper, we analyze the impacts of energy storage systems (ESS) and interannual uncertainty of variable renewable energy (VRE) on power system decarbonization in 2050. We perform capacity expansion optimization based on technology cost projections and CO2 emission restrictions using 11 years of VRE and load data in Italy's power system, with a particular focus on the role of ESS and its duration. We also explore capacity expansion optimization based on multiple-year vs. sing…
In this paper, we formulate an optimal ordering policy as a stochastic control problem where each firm decides the amount of input goods to order from their upstream suppliers based on the current inventory level of its output good. For this purpose, we provide a closed-form solution for the optimal request of the raw materials for given a fixed production policy. We implement the proposed policy on a 15-firm acyclic network based on a real product supply chain. We first simulate ideal demand situations, and then we implement demand-side shocks (i.e., demand levels outside of those considered …
Appropriately designed renewable support policies can play a leading role in promoting renewable expansions and contribute to low emission goals. Meanwhile, ill-designed policies may distort electricity markets, put power utilities and generation companies on an unlevel playing field and, in turn, cause inefficiencies. This paper proposes a framework to optimize policymaking for renewable energy sources, while incorporating conflicting interests and objectives of different stakeholders. We formulate a tri-level optimization problem where each level represents a different entity: a state regula…
EU-ETS under attack? The impact of carbon price suppression on the decarbonization of the power sector
Politecnico di Milano（米兰理工大学）；RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment（RFF-CMCC欧洲经济与环境研究所）；Instituto de Investigacion Tecnologica（技术研究所）；Universidad Pontificia Comillas（康普卢滕斯天主教大学）
Integration of electronics-based residential appliances and distributed energy resources in homes is expected to rise with grid decarbonization. These devices may introduce significant harmonics into power networks that need to be closely studied in order to accurately model and forecast load. However, it can be difficult to obtain harmonic-rich voltage and current data -- necessary for identifying accurate load models -- for residential electrical loads. Recognizing this need, first a set of electronics-based end-use loads is identified and modeled in an electromagnetic transients program too…
Dynamic Pricing in Smart Grids under Thresholding Policies: Algorithms and Heuristics
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology（马斯达尔理工学院）；Brigham Young University（杨百翰大学）；New York University, Abu Dhabi（纽约大学阿布扎比分校）；Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院）
We hypothesize that the present expansion of energy generation by variable renewable energy (VRE) power plants, such as wind and photovoltaic power plants, leads to a 100% renewable energy supply in 2030 because of its inherent exponential growth function. This behavior is related to the exponential cost reduction of its generated energy and the nearly unconstrained available potential of its natural resources. The cost reduction results from the continuous improvements in development, research, manufacturing, and installation, also showing a growth of its installation power per power plant or…
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校电子与计算机工程系）；AI Innovation Institute, Stony Brook University（石溪大学人工智能创新研究所）
