The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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Clean energy has experienced explosive growth over the past decade. This rapid transition represents a crucial step in combating climate change — but it brings a host of new challenges to the electric power industry. The technologies being deployed as part of this transition — such as renewable energy and large-scale energy storage — are increasing the complexity of electric grid operations and changing power market dynamics. The grid was built for large, fossil-powered plants with constant, predictable energy outputs. As renewables proliferate, cases are emerging of unpredictable and weather-dependent wind and solar resources producing more power than the grid …
View Full ResourceGovernor Walz’s Proposal would commit the state to obtaining 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free energy sources by 2040, but his proposal would not legalize the construction of new nuclear power plants in Minnesota or allow the hydroelectric electricity generated in Canada that Minnesotans already purchase to count as “carbon-free.” As a result, the Walz Proposal is essentially a wind, solar, and battery storage mandate.
This report is the most robust modeling on the true cost of attempting to power our state using wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage technology. The study finds:
1. Minnesota electricity customers will … View Full ResourceOver the decades of operation, nuclear energy has proven to be one of the lowest-cost and most reliable energy resources integrated into the U.S. electric grid. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), nuclear reactors have the lowest forced outage rates among major fuel and technology types, making them one of the most reliable sources of electricity in the country. Additionally, due to their low cost of fuel, nuclear power plants are also one of the cheapest non-renewable generating resources currently operating in the U.S., providing steady around-the-clock (baseload) electricity to countless customers across the country.
In summary, …
View Full ResourceWith the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) plans to close its remaining coal plants by 2035, this is a moment of potentially enormous change in the Valley’s energy system. The goal of this study is to understand how investments in energy efficiency — a key resource that has been undervalued by TVA — can bolster jobs growth across the TVA footprint while reducing energy demand. Energy efficiency is often the lowest-cost resource available to utilities and in addition to creating jobs, it improves grid reliability, reduces utility operation costs, improves comfort, and often lowers cost for building users, putting money back …
View Full ResourceCalifornia’s Senate Bill 100 sets targets of 60% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045. In December 2020, the Joint Agencies SB 100 report (hereafter, referred to as the “SB 100 report”) analyzed the feasibility of the SB 100 targets and showed that accelerating this timeline to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030 or 2035 could be cost-effective. However, the SB 100 report identified the need for further analysis to understand the reliability impacts of a clean portfolio. The reliability events that occurred
during August 2020 highlight the shifting resource adequacy challenges for California and the increasing importance …
Distributed energy resources (DERs) are small-scale energy resources usually situated near sites of electricity use, such as rooftop solar panels and battery storage. Their rapid expansion is transforming not only the way electricity is generated, but also how it is traded, delivered and consumed.
Accordingly, DERs can create new power system opportunities, but at the same time, can pose new challenges when a grid has not been properly prepared. Many jurisdictions are just beginning to understand how DERs fit into the wider energy landscape – what they are and what impacts they have on the grid, and how they can …
View Full ResourceThe U.S. transmission network needs to meet 21st century challenges with 21st century solutions. Decarbonization and clean energy procurement targets set by states, utilities, and corporations for the not-so-distant future will require high levels of new renewable energy capacity to be quickly and efficiently integrated onto the power grid. The large influx of generation will require an increase in overall system transmission capacity to manage its integration and to alleviate congestion and reliability issues that might arise. While new, large-scale transmission infrastructure will be key to enabling the clean energy transition, regulatory and planning obstacles often delay their construction for …
View Full ResourceThe goal of this study is to provide a detailed assessment of key policy and technology options and choices and their implications for New Jersey’s pathway to 100% carbon-free electricity. In particular, this study examines least-cost pathways to reach New Jersey’s current laws and stated policy goals under a range of possible future conditions and explores the role of in-state solar PV, offshore wind, nuclear power, and imported electricity in the state’s electricity future. Our goal is to provide an independent assessment of costs and trade-offs associated with different choices facing New Jersey stakeholders provide actionable insights for decision-makers.
For …
View Full ResourceConventional semiconductors are a keystone technology that are essential for the operation of nearly every electronic device, including those that are critical to decarbonization, such as electric vehicles (EVs), industrial and building applications, and electricity generation and end use. In addition, power electronics have been applied to industrial equipment to improve energy efficiency and enhance controllability. Power electronics have also been used to improve the reliability of data centers and critical infrastructure, including the stabilization of the electric grid while subjected to disturbances. Increasingly, power electronics are being used to integrate renewable energy and battery storage systems, enabling new grid …
View Full ResourceThis study assesses how the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) would increase costs for families and businesses in the Commonwealth and make the grid more fragile. It also assesses an alternative scenario, the Reliable Resource Scenario (RRS), where reliability and affordability are given the prioritization they deserve.…
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