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The US power industry is working hard to reduce emissions
towards net zero, even as the country transitions many traditional
uses of fossil fuels to renewables. The Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) is at the forefront supporting research,
development, and deployment of generation technology to turn those
ambitions into reality, collaborating with more than 450 companies
in 45 countries. In this Q&A, two EPRI top executives discuss
past accomplishments by the power industry and activities that
promise new benefits for consumers and industry.
Net-Zero Business Daily: To set the context, can you
update us on the accomplishments of the US energy industry in
reducing CO2 and GHG emissions?
Neil Wilmshurst, senior vice president, energy system
resources: We like to take a slightly broader view to look
at the last 15 years. Carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. are 20%
below 2005 levels. The majority of emissions reduction came from
the electric power industry, which maintained consistent
electricity prices, even as the economy grew 28%. EPRI identified
two primary drivers for this cost-effective
decarbonization—strides in energy efficiency and
electrification, and the shift to cleaner electricity generation.
The impact of more energy-efficient technologies today is amplified
by a US generating mix that is 30% less carbon intensive than 15
years ago.
NZBD: What are the sources of those
improvements?
Wilmshurst: Efficiency gains helped keep
electricity demand flat as the economy doubled. At the same time,
technology advancement and policy changes drove the shift from coal
generation to lower-emission natural gas, solar, and wind. Coal
generation declined more than 50% as renewables grew tenfold.
During the same period, nuclear power maintained its contribution
to the generation mix at about 20%. EPRI's R&D has reflected
these changes, as we've done significant work in energy efficiency,
electrification, and low-carbon power generation.
NZBD: The US has big ambitions going forward, including
both net-zero carbon power by 2035 and 50-52% total economywide GHG
reductions by 2030. What's the state of progress, from EPRI's
perspective? Can the US meet the goals, or come close?
Wilmshurst: Net zero is possible. It will take
aggressive action and commitment from all areas of the economy. As
governments around the world commit to reduce emissions and
dramatically transform their energy ecosystems, the US has an
opportunity to take an even greater leadership role. The R&D
and scientific communities will be critical—universities,
national labs and research organizations—bringing objectivity
and credibility to evaluate and deploy the technologies needed to
support international climate goals.
The path to 2050 will involve building on what works today and
developing new technologies to achieve the final 10% to 20% of
carbon reduction. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but a
portfolio of solutions. An affordable and reliable clean energy
transition depends on understanding regional differences and
addressing a range of inherent technical and operational challenges
along the way.
To overcome these challenges, EPRI, joined by Gas Technology
Institute, is accelerating and demonstrating low- and zero-carbon
energy technologies through the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative
(LCRI). This five-year, $125+ million initiative, launched in 2020,
is targeting fundamental advances in low-carbon electric generation
technologies and low-carbon energy carriers, providing scientific
credibility and objectivity to the global decarbonization effort.
This R&D will be instrumental to achieve economy-wide
decarbonization by mid-century.
NZBD:What's needed to get
there?
Rob Chapman, senior vice president, energy delivery and
customer solutions: Emissions reductions in the electric
power sector and electrifying transportation with wider adoption of
light duty electric vehicles play key roles in net-zero goals.
Electrification of end-uses is a central part of the near-term
strategy and will be a significant aspect of achieving a net-zero
energy future.
What's more, increasing the capacity of the transmission and
distribution (T&D) infrastructure system will enable
decarbonization by allowing the integration of utility-scale and
low-carbon resources such as solar, wind, and batteries. It will
also support the increased use of electricity due to
electrification. Increasing the capacity of existing T&D
systems will be vital, as well as building new advanced,
high-capacity and low-cost new assets that are more reliable and
resilient.
NZBD: Please provide details on one or two breakthroughs
and EPRI's contribution.
Chapman: EPRI, working with utilities,
technology solution providers, and other research organizations,
has advanced the ability to integrate distributed energy resources
(DER) and the use of microgrids to address utility customer needs
for clean generation, reliability and resilience. In collaboration
with the US Department of Energy, EPRI demonstrated the ability to
control and optimize solar using flexible loads and energy storage,
use utility management of DER to provide community resilience, and
integrate commercial into a microgrid using existing solar assets
to provide reliable, resilient power.
Since its launch, LCRI has been involved in numerous clean
energy projects. For example, EPRI, in partnership with the New
York Power Authority, General Electric and hydrogen supplier
Airgas, has teamed up to test the viability of blending renewable
hydrogen with natural gas for a portion of the fossil fuel
combusted at the Brentwood Power Station in Long Island. The
project is a first-in-the-nation study of how various renewable
hydrogen blending levels may decrease carbon emissions at power
plants without affecting reliability. If successful, the project
could be used as a blueprint throughout New York—which aims to
reduce emissions 85% below 1990 levels by 2050—and the country,
helping to further decarbonize the energy sector.
NZBD:What are the barriers inhibiting
the next promising breakthroughs?
Chapman: As we lay the groundwork now to make
economy-wide carbon reductions in the coming decades, it's
important to ensure the clean energy transition is equitable and
sustainable, while keeping electricity accessible, affordable, and
reliable for consumers in the US, and around the world.
NZBD: Progress doesn't just come from new technology. A
lot comes from incremental improvements to existing technologies
and better procedures/best practices. Can you discuss EPRI's
contribution in this area?
Chapman: An important aspect of LCRI is working
together to find the most reliable and cost-effective methods for
achieving net zero. One example of this is looking at the natural
gas system as a form of energy storage. Can existing natural gas
infrastructure feasibly and safely transport hydrogen, perhaps with
some modification? Can hydrogen be converted to a more energy
dense-by-volume fuel, such as ammonia, to transport it and then be
converted back to 100% hydrogen at the point of use? There are many
more questions like this that we are focused on addressing.
NZBD: If we're looking ahead 2-5 years, what can we
expect from the US power industry?
Chapman: The US power sector is always focused
on continual improvement and adaptation. Energy is not static, and
neither is the electricity sector. Among the sector's top
priorities will continue to be increasing low-carbon energy
resources on the electric grid, greater widespread adoption of
electric vehicles and the infrastructure to support them. Plus,
we'll see a strong focus on preparing for extreme
events—whether that's weather, cyber, or physical security-- to
ensure those power sources remain reliable and resilient in the
event of a power failure.
Posted 02 December 2021 by Kevin Adler, Chief Editor
RT @SPGlobal: Many nations have set #NetZero Emissions by 2050 as their climate goal. Will be enough minerals to meet the requirements? Joi…
Jul 11
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