The Future of Low-Carbon Electricity

Abstract

We review future global demand for electricity and major technologies positioned to supply it with minimal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: renewables (wind, solar, water, geothermal, and biomass), nuclear fission, and fossil power with CO2 capture and sequestration. We discuss two breakthrough technologies (space solar power and nuclear fusion) as exciting but uncertain additional options for low-net GHG emissions (i.e., low-carbon) electricity generation. In addition, we discuss grid integration technologies (monitoring and forecasting of transmission and distribution systems, demand-side load management, energy storage, and load balancing with low-carbon fuel substitutes). For each topic, recent historical trends and future prospects are reviewed, along with technical challenges, costs, and other issues as appropriate. Although no technology represents an ideal solution, their strengths can be enhanced by deployment in combination, along with grid integration that forms a critical set of enabling technologies to assure a reliable and robust future low-carbon electricity system.

Robust climate change research: a review on multi-model analysis

“…warming-limit goal is rapidly closing (Otto et al 2015). In this circumstance, the development of CDR and NETs, especially CCS technologies, becomes the key to realizing the 2°C warming-control target (Jones et al 2016, Greenblatt et al 2017. The roles of these technologies are, therefore, at the center of MMC studies (Jackson et al 2017).…”

The Technical and Energetic Challenges of Separating (Photo)Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction Products

“…More efficient energy use is the cornerstone of almost all climate policy (IEA, 2015). While many low-GHG energy alternatives exist for electricity generation, including several types of renewable technologies as well as nuclear power and fossil fuel combustion with CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) (Greenblatt et al, 2017), there are fewer options available for fuels used directly (e.g., in transportation, buildings or industrial processes). Electrification of these end uses is underway, most prominently in personal vehicles where plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel-electric and all-electric technologies are rapidly becoming cost-effective.…”

Simulation of vertical power flow at MV/HV transformers for quantification of curtailed renewable power

“…In the second step the load profiles and the power curves are improved. Using the initial functions, the generated RE power and the load are calculated by applying (1). This results in a larger quantity of data that is available for fitting.…”

“…The rising integration of renewables (RE) into the power grid [1] leads to insecure grid states due to the fluctuating power generation of RE [2]. To avoid network failures at times where a peak of renewable power is infed into the grid, the RE have to be curtailed [3].…”