Quantifying the challenge of reaching a 100% renewable energy power system for the United States

Abstract

This study evaluates pathways and quantifies the costs of transitioning to a 100% renewable energy (RE) power system for the contiguous United States. That cost depends on future system conditions (e.g., low versus high RE costs), the definition of the 100% requirement (e.g., whether the requirement applies to end-use demand or total generation), and the time frame for reaching 100%.

Electricity systems in the limit of free solar photovoltaics and continent-scale transmission

“…The model used in our analysis is highly idealized compared to other works that consider more detailed assumptions and models ( Brown and Botterud, 2021 ; Cole et al., 2021 ; Williams et al., 2021 ). For example, MEM assumes a power system with no pre-existing capacity of any technology (unless given) at the beginning of optimization.…”

Power Sector Decarbonization in South Asia: Pathways for Research, Modeling, and Implementation

“…For example, NREL's Electrification Futures Study, which focused on the U.S. energy Source: (W. J. Cole et al 2021) system, took a broad view of the impacts of several potential electrification scenarios to understand the supply-side needs (i.e., generation, storage, and transmission) and the operational impacts, finding that total energy demand could be as high as 38% greater and peak demand as high as 33% greater in 2050, depending on the degree of electrification (Mai et al 2018).…”

Realizing ambitions: A framework for iteratively assessing and communicating national decarbonization progress

“…Most modeling studies produce decarbonization pathways using some form of least-cost optimization, but lack feasibility analysis such as the availability of resources required by these paths and social acceptance. Examples of such studies include ones for China ( Li et al., 2020 ; Zhang and Chen, 2021 ; Song et al., 2022 ), for the U.S. ( Denholm et al., 2021 ; Cole et al., 2021 ), and for the E.U. ( Millot et al., 2020 ; Löffler et al., 2019 ).…”