Smith EGR 325 - The Electric Power Industry and Climate Change

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TPWRS-00710-2007 Abstract— This paper summarizes issues and research opportunities related to global climate change for the electric power industry. The following issues are considered: (i) power infrastructure response to extreme weather events; (ii) impact on system operating strategies, configuration, and expansion plans; (iii) effects of an expanded use of renewable and alternative energy technologies; and (iv) impacts of market rules and policy mandates on power system operation. Index Terms—global climate change, electric power research, extreme weather, alternative technologies, government policy I. INTRODUCTION HE interaction of the electric power industry with climate is manifested in both the effect that severe weather has on the power system and the contribution of electric power to the production of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants. It is estimated that the United States is the source of one-fourth of the world’s GHG emissions and that the electric power industry accounts for one-third of these. Within the total GHG emissions, CO2 emissions account for more than 80 percent of the overall U.S. contribution, and 38 percent of this amount is derived from the electric power sector [1]. A. Overview of the Problem Analyses of climate change and society’s response frequently refer to the need and ability for adaptation and mitigation. In terms of electric power systems and climate change, adaptation includes the hardening of power system equipment and developing new operating system strategies in response to system upgrades and changing weather patterns. Manuscript received September 25, 2007. This work was supported in part by the Power Systems Engineering Research Center, PSERC. Judith Cardell is with Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063 (phone: 413-585-7000; fax: 413-585-7001; e-mail: [email protected]). Ian Dobson is with the University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53706 (e-mail: [email protected]). Ward Jewell is with Wichita State University (e-mail: [email protected]). Mladen Kezunovic is with Texas A&M University (e-mail: [email protected]). Tom Overbye is with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (e-mail: [email protected]). P. K. Sen is with Colorado School of Mines (e-mail: [email protected]). Daniel Tylavsky is with Arizona State University (e-mail: [email protected]). The power system must also respond to new market rules, proposed laws and regulations, expanded energy conservation, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources, and demand-side participation programs. The power industry is confronted with the need to adapt to current and anticipated market structures and government mandates relating to climate change and sustainability. Mitigation refers to the need to lessen the negative impacts of climate change on society and the economy, as well as mitigating the power industry’s production of pollutant emissions. This area of power system-climate interaction focuses on reducing the production of GHGs from combustion and energy conversion processes. The sources of greenhouse gas emissions are much broader than the electric power industry, being both natural (biogenic) and human (anthropogenic). A brief overview of emissions from land use, agriculture, transportation, and electric power is provided below in order to provide context for the role of electric power in climate change discussions. Land Use Patterns and Agriculture: Land use plays an important role in GHG emissions and carbon sequestration in the United States. Land use types that affect GHG emissions and sequestration include forest land, grassland, pasture, rangeland, cropland, wetland, and urban land. The effects of land use on natural emissions estimates are complicated by distinguishing between anthropogenic and biogenic emissions [2]. In 2000, agriculture was responsible for 14 percent of the GHGs, divided among fertilizers, livestock, rice cultivation, manure management and waste burning. Agricultural practices also produce CO2 via soil and biomass management practices that disturb natural carbon sinks. In addition, agriculture is responsible for emissions in other sectors, including deforestation, production of fertilizers, use of equipment that requires fossil fuel, and transportation of agricultural inputs and outputs [3]. Transportation: The share of total emissions from transportation rose from 17 to 24 percent between 1990 and 2004, an increase of 41 percent, or 2.5 percent per year on average. Emissions from international aviation and shipping rose by 86 and 45 percent, respectively, and accounted for 22 percent of transportation emissions in 2004 [4]. Electric Power: The electric power industry in the United States accounts for one-third of the nation’s GHG emissions, The Electric Power Industry and Climate Change: Issues and Research Possibilities Judith Cardell, Member, IEEE, Ian Dobson, Fellow, IEEE, Ward Jewell, Fellow, IEEE, Mladen Kezunovic, Fellow, IEEE, Tom Overbye, Fellow, IEEE, P. K. Sen, Senior Member, IEEE and Daniel Tylavsky, Senior Member, IEEE TTPWRS-00710-2007 and 38 percent of the nation’s overall CO2 emissions, equivalent to 2.2 billion metric tons [1]. B. Organization of the paper This paper summarizes a report by the Power Systems Engineering Research Center (PSERC) [5]. Section 2 discusses the science and technology background of the interaction between the production of GHGs and the production, consumption, and delivery of electricity. Section 3 discusses extreme weather statistics and events, and the potential impact on power system blackouts and component failures. U.S. federal and state policies on climate change, to the extent that they affect the electric power industry, are discussed in section 4, and section 5 continues this discussion with electricity market issues that relate to climate change. Section 6 discusses long-range planning in electric power and other industries with respect to climate change. Section 7 concludes. II. THE PRODUCTION OF GHGS AND ELECTRIC POWER: THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES The public and the electric utility industry are showing greater interest in environmental issues, including global climate change. This section discusses the interaction between the production of GHGs and the production of electricity, including discussions on emission-reducing technologies and likely impacts on the transmission grid. A. The Greenhouse Effect and


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