Working Paper on Sustainability of Pumped Storage Hydropower

The International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower (IFPSH) is pleased to publish this Working Paper on the Sustainability of Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH), which is a culmination of multi–stakeholder collaboration between the hydropower sector, academia and NGOs to share our experiences and deepen our understanding on PSH’s sustainability profile and its role in a clean energy future.

This report provides an overview of existing or in–progress guidelines, tools, initiatives and methods that may be applicable to the sustainability assessment of PSH technology and projects.…

Pumped Storage Hydropower Capabilities and Costs

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) operates by storing electricity in the form of gravitational potential energy through pumping water from a lower to an upper reservoir.

This report aims to improve understanding on the role of PSH in the clean energy transition and compare PSH capabilities and costs with other sources of energy storage and system flexibility options. …

Pump It Up: Recommendations for Urgent Investment in Pumped Storage Hydropower to Back the Clean Energy Transition

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) works on a simple principle. At times of low demand when electricity prices tend to be lower water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, and then released at times of high demand to drive a turbine and generate electricity. Today, in 2021, it is the dominant form of energy storage on electricity grids across the globe, providing daily, weekly, and seasonal storage, with over 160GW of installed generating capacity and around 9,000GWh of energy stored.

As the world relies more and more on variable sources of electricity like solar PV and …

Innovative Pumped Storage Hydropower Configurations and Uses

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) operates by storing electricity in the form of gravitational potential energy through pumping water from a lower to an upper reservoir. First built since the end of 19th century, PSH is a mature and proven technology for long duration energy storage. It has continuously evolved to suit the needs of changing power systems, providing a suite of power system flexibility services such as inertia, frequency control, voltage regulation, and black–start capability, which are vital to support the growing shares of variable renewable energy in grid systems. However, it is often absent in …

Flying Blind: The Glaring Absence of Climate Risks in Financial Reporting

This report examines whether 107 publicly-listed carbon-intensive firms (and their auditors) considered material climate-related risks in financial reporting. At the same time the study also assesses whether investor concerns about Paris-alignment of assumptions and estimates have been addressed.

Despite significant financial risks faced from the climate crisis, and net-zero pledges made by many we found little evidence that companies or their auditors considered climate-related matters in the 2020 financial statements.…

Tracking the Sun 2021: Pricing and Design Trends for Distributed Photovoltaic Systems in the United States

Berkeley Lab’s annual Tracking the Sun report describes trends among grid-connected, distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States. The latest edition of the report is based on data from roughly 2.2 million systems, covering 79% of all distributed PV systems installed nationally through year-end 2020.

The report describes trends related to:

Project characteristics, including system size, module efficiencies, prevalence of paired PV with storage, use of module-level power electronics, third-party ownership, mounting configurations, panel orientation, and non-residential customer segmentation Median installed-price trends, including both long-term and more recent temporal trends at the national and state levels,

Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis

This working paper aims to advance GHG emissions inventory approaches and increase the adoption of science-based targets for air travel and other business travel modes across organizations of all scales and sectors by sharing practical guidance and implementation detail from several organizational case studies.…

A Big Civilian Climate Corps is Vital for Economy and Appalachia

Momentum is growing for creating a 21^st century Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that would reduce carbon emissions, grow jobs, and restore our natural resources and environment. At least seven bills have been introduced in Congress this year to revive the CCC and several House committees have included funding for a CCC in bills that could be passed in the budget reconciliation process over the next few weeks.

In this new issue brief, the Ohio River Valley Institute, along with Keystone Research Center and Reimagine Appalachia, examine the substantial benefits of a revamped CCC for the Ohio River Valley …

Analyzing the Role of Advanced Nuclear Energy in Deep Decarbonization: A Review of Market Opportunities and Modeling Challenges

To account for the new design characteristics of advanced reactors, there are relatively simple changes in assumptions that can be made in model structures, especially in electric power generation. These include capital and operating costs, construction lead times, financial risk factors, and siting restrictions.

In addition, parameters and model structures that determine the flexibility of nuclear operations also should be modified to reflect these capabilities in both advanced and current nuclear technologies. Representing non–power applications of advanced nuclear reactors is also important for analyzing economy–wide deep decarbonization goals, for example the …

Agricultural Soil Carbon Credits: Making Sense of Protocols for Carbon Sequestration and Net Greenhouse Gas Removals

This synthesis is for federal and state policymakers looking to shape public investments in climate mitigation through agricultural soil carbon credits, protocol developers, project developers and aggregators, buyers of credits and others interested in learning about the landscape of soil carbon and net greenhouse gas measurement, reporting and verification protocols. We use the term MRV broadly to encompass the range of quantification activities, structural considerations and requirements intended to ensure the integrity of quantified credits.

This report outlines research gaps underpinning the understanding of the mitigation potential of SOC sequestration. It details how the various protocols plan to quantify changes …