Electrification & Decarbonization: Exploring U.S. Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Scenarios with Widespread Electrification and Power Sector Decarbonization

This report, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, describes an initial analysis exploring the potential implications of widespread electrification of energy services in the buildings, transportation, and industrial sectors on the future evolution of the U.S. electricity system. Given its exploratory nature, the analysis considers only a limited set of electrification, efficiency, and power sector decarbonization scenarios; in addition, estimates of the electrification potential of each end-use sector— buildings, industry, and transport—are based on a relatively aggregated analysis of end-use service and fuel demands by sector and state and, therefore, do not …

Renewable Energy Benefits: Leveraging Local Capacity for Solar PV – Executive Summary

Renewable energy development can drive economic growth, create new jobs and enhance human health and welfare at the national level. The Leveraging Local Capacity series examines the kinds of jobs created and suggests ways to build on existing industries.

Each study outlines the requirements along the whole value chain, particularly in terms of human resources and skills, to produce, install and operate plants or facilities based on a certain renewable energy technology. This involves assessing the materials and equipment needed in each segment, with a focus on identifying potential for local value creation.

Summaries are available for studies on the …

Renewable Energy Benefits Leveraging Local Capacity for Onshore Wind – Executive Summary

Renewable energy development can drive economic growth, create new jobs and enhance human health and welfare at the national level. The Leveraging Local Capacity series examines the kinds of jobs created and suggests ways to build on existing industries.

Each study outlines the requirements along the whole value chain, particularly in terms of human resources and skills, to produce, install and operate plants or facilities based on a certain renewable energy technology. This involves assessing the materials and equipment needed in each segment, with a focus on identifying potential for local value creation.

Summaries are available for studies on the …

Accelerating the Energy Transition through Innovation

Technological breakthroughs are needed to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector. Even with economically viable and scalable renewable-based solutions available for around two-thirds of the world’s energy supply, population growth and rising energy demand could outpace energy decarbonisation without urgent investments in research and development (R&D).

This working paper from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the basic conditions required to nurture innovation and produce new technologies for a low-carbon future.

Broadly, the paper advises governments around the world to:

Nurture Innovation: This means putting proper policy incentives in place, based on a long-term perspective. 

Pursue power-system integration:

21st Century U.S. Energy Sources: A Primer

Since the start of the 21st century, the U.S. energy system has seen tremendous changes.
Technological advances in energy production have driven changes in energy consumption, and
the United States has moved from being a growing net importer of most forms of energy to a
declining importer—and possibly a net exporter in the near future. The United States remains the
second largest consumer of energy in the world, behind China.

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry has gone through a “renaissance” of production.
Technological improvements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have unlocked
enormous oil and natural gas resources …

The Value of Energy Tax Incentives for Different Types of Energy Resources: In Brief

The U.S. tax code supports the energy sector by providing a number of targeted tax incentives, or tax incentives only available for the energy industry. As Congress evaluates the tax code and contemplates tax reform, there has been interest in understanding how energy tax benefits are distributed across different domestic energy resources. For example, what percentage of energyrelated tax benefits support fossil fuels (or support renewables)? How much domestic energy is produced using fossil fuels (or produced using renewables)? And how do these figures compare?

In 2016, the value of federal tax-related support for the energy sector was estimated to …

Adapting Market Design to High Shares of Variable Renewable Energy

Liberalised electricity markets require timely adaptation to support higher shares of variable renewable (solar and wind) energy and distributed power generation. This study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) presents the latest knowledge on the adaptation process for such markets, aiming to inform policy makers, regulators and system operators on the options available.

The report analyses challenges and solutions, and provides recommendations, on how to adapt electricity market design to high shares of variable renewable energy.  It focuses on two aspects of liberalised power systems:

wholesale market design; distribution networks and distributed energy resources.

Among its findings, the report …

Advanced Energy Now Market Report 2017

Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report is our fifth annual report on the size, growth, and trends in the advanced energy market, globally and in the United States. It traces the growth of our industry since publication of Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy in 2013. Beginning with that report, Navigant Research has been tracking global and U.S. revenue for AEE, with 2011 as the baseline.

This year’s edition shows global growth of 7% from 2015 to 2016, nearly twice the rate of the world economy overall. In the United States, advanced energy saw strong growth in power generation and building …

The President’s FY2018 Budget Request for the Department of Energy

The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget, America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again, includes $28.0 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), $1.7 billion (5.6%) less than the FY2016 enacted level of $29.7 billion. While this request would reduce the total budget for the Department, it would increase funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Environmental Management programs. The request would reduce funding for the Office of Science and the offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, and Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, and the Fossil Energy Research and Development program (herein …

Renewable Energy in district heating and cooling: A sector roadmap for REmap

District heating and cooling (DHC) combined with renewable energy sources can help meet rising urban energy needs, improve efficiency, reduce emissions and improve local air quality. Although currently dominated by fossil fuels such as coal and gas, DHC systems can be upgraded, or new networks created, to use solid biofuel, solar and geothermal energy technologies.

Depending on local conditions, renewable-based DHC brings a range of benefits, including increased energy security, improved health and reduced climate impact.

To date, only a few countries have taken advantage of their renewable resource potential for DHC or created policies to promote further uptake. Sweden …