State and local economic impacts from wind energy projects: Texas case study

This paper uses the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model to estimate economic impacts from 1398 MW of wind power development in four counties in west Texas. Project-specific impacts are estimated at the local level (i.e., within a 100-mile radius around the wind farms) and at the state level. The primary economic policy question addressed is how investment in wind energy affects the state and local communities where the wind farms are built. During the four-year construction phase approximately 4100 FTE (full time equivalents) jobs were supported with turbine and supply chain impacts accounting for 58% of all jobs generated. Total lifetime economic activity to the state from the projects equated to more than $1.8 billion, or $1.3 million per MW of installed capacity. The total economic activity to the local communities was also substantial, equating to nearly $730 million over the assumed 20-year life cycle of the farms, or $0.52 million per MW of installed capacity. Given the current level of impacts observed, and the potential for increased impacts via greater utilization of instate manufacturing capacity and the development of trained wind industry specific laborers, Texas appears to be well positioned to see increasing impacts from continued wind development.     

Strategies for carbon dioxide emissions reductions: Residential natural gas efficiency,economic, and ancillary health impacts in Maryland

As part of its commitments to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the State of Maryland, USA, auctions emission permits to electric utilities, creating revenue that can be used to benefit consumers and the environment. This paper explores the CO₂ emissions reductions that may be possible by allocating some of that revenue to foster efficiency improvements in the residential sector’s use of natural gas. Since these improvements will require changes to the capital stock of houses and end use equipment, efficiency improvements may be accompanied by economic and ancillary health impacts, both of which are quantified in this paper.     

Environmental and health impacts of a policy to phase out nuclear power in Sweden

Nuclear power faces an uncertain future in Sweden. Major political parties, including the Green party of the coalition-government have recently strongly advocated for a policy to decommission the Swedish nuclear fleet prematurely. Here we examine the environmental, health and (to a lesser extent) economic impacts of implementing such a plan. The process has already been started through the early shutdown of the Barsebäck plant. We estimate that the political decision to shut down Barsebäck has resulted in ~2400 avoidable energy-production-related deaths and an increase in global CO₂ emissions of 95 million tonnes to date (October 2014). The Swedish reactor fleet as a whole has reached just past its halfway point of production, and has a remaining potential production of up to 2100 TWh. The reactors have the potential of preventing 1.9–2.1 gigatonnes of future CO₂-emissions if allowed to operate their full lifespans. The potential for future prevention of energy-related-deaths is 50,000–60,000. We estimate an 800 billion SEK (120 billion USD) lower-bound estimate for the lost tax revenue from an early phase-out policy. In sum, the evidence shows that implementing a ‘nuclear-free’ policy for Sweden (or countries in a similar situation) would constitute a highly retrograde step for climate, health and economic protection.     

SmartGrid: Future networks for New Zealand power systems incorporating distributed generation

The concept of intelligent electricity grids, which primarily involves the integration of new information and communication technologies with power transmission lines and distribution cables, is being actively explored in the European Union and the United States. Both developments share common technological developmental goals but also differ distinctly towards the role of distributed generation for their future electrical energy security. This paper looks at options that could find relevance to New Zealand (NZ), in the context of its aspiration of achieving 90% renewable energy electricity generation portfolio by 2025. It also identifies developments in technical standardization and industry investments that facilitate a pathway towards an intelligent or smart grid development for NZ. Some areas where policy can support research in NZ being a “fast adapter” to future grid development are also listed.This paper will help policy makers quickly review developments surrounding SmartGrid and also identify its potential to support NZ Energy Strategy in the electricity infrastructure. This paper will also help researchers and power system stakeholders for identifying international standardization, projects and potential partners in the area of future grid technologies.     

Electric power and economic development: The case of India

This article explores the role of energy in the process of economic development, by studying the experience of India since independence. The analysis shows evidence of considerable flexibility in the energy consumption-income relationship. The case is made that policies for demand management in different sectors of the economy are just as important as plans to enhance supply. In general, the power industry in India has performed quite well, but it suffers from organizational weaknesses which have resulted in large financial losses and a record of unreliable supply. Organizational restructing would improve efficiency and bring a change in direction which is now essential for considering the adoption of decentralized generation technologies, particularly in rural areas. The lessons from India's experience are applicable in different degrees to either LDCs.     

CAFE compliance by light trucks: economic impacts of clean diesel engine

With the popularity of light trucks increasing in the United States, their share of the US light vehicle market had doubled between 1980 and 1996, climbing from 20 to 40%. By 1996, annual energy consumption for light trucks had risen to 5.97×10¹⁵ Btu [5.97 quadrillion Btu, or “quad,” or 6.30×10¹⁸ joule (J)], compared to 7.94 quad (8.38×10¹⁸ J) for cars. In recent years (since 1995), the fuel economy of US - manufactured light trucks (almost 99% of which use gasoline engines) has been below the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. This paper analyzes a strategy to reduce the CAFE shortfalls by adopting the new, highly energy-efficient clean diesel engine. Research on such engines has been funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies, under its Light Truck Clean Diesel Engine Program. A clean diesel engine market penetration trajectory is developed, representing an industry response to meet the CAFE standards. Whether the engine will be produced inside the country or imported remains uncertain, so two cases are defined. Values of exports/imports of clean diesel engines/trucks under these cases are estimated. The macroeconomic benefits are estimated by using a model of the US economy developed by Standard & Poor's Data Resources, Inc. On the basis of gains in the gross domestic product projected under the alternative cases, domestic production of the clean diesel engine is favored over importing it.     

Logistical and economic obstacles to a fast reactor programme

Fast reactor studies used to place great emphasis on its role as a breeder of plutonium, thereby raising the prospect of a nuclear power system free from the constraint of uranium supplies. Today, not only the timing of fast reactor introduction has slipped (by two or three decades) but the perspective which was central to energy policy has changed dramatically. This article first examines the fast reactor as a system and looks at the interaction of four key variables in its logistics. It then looks at the rise in real costs, especially capital costs. Given the parameters that determine the plutonium balance and the economics of the fast reactor system, the author questions whether there is a sound basis for its introduction, and concludes by suggesting that the most pressing requirement is a study of the opportunity costs of fast reactor R&D expenditures.     

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as regulating power providers: Case studies of Sweden and Germany

This study investigates plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as providers of regulating power in the form of primary, secondary and tertiary frequency control. Previous studies have shown that PHEVs could generate substantial profits while providing ancillary services. This study investigates under what conditions PHEVs can generate revenues using actual market data, i.e. prices and activations of regulating power, from Sweden and Germany from four months in 2008. PHEV market participation is modelled for individual vehicles in a fleet subject to a simulated movement pattern. Costs for infrastructure and vehicle-to-grid equipment are not included in the analysis. The simulation results indicate that maximum average profits generated on the German markets are in the range 30–80 € per vehicle and month whereas the Swedish regulating power markets give no profit.     

Nuclear power: Understanding the economic risks and uncertainties

This paper identifies the fundamental elements and critical research tasks of a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits of nuclear power relative to investments in alternative baseload technologies. The proposed framework seeks to: (i) identify the set of expected parameter values under which nuclear power becomes cost competitive relative to alternative generating technologies; (ii) identify the main risk drivers and quantify their impacts on the costs of nuclear power; (iii) estimate the nuclear power option value; (iv) assess the nexus between electricity market structure and the commercial attractiveness of nuclear power; (v) evaluate the economics of smaller sized nuclear reactors; (vi) identify options for strengthening the institutional underpinnings of the international safeguards regime; and (vii) evaluate the proliferation resistance of new generation reactors and fuel cycles.     

Technical,environmental, and economic assessment of deploying advanced coal power technologies in the Chinese context

The goal of this study is to evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic dimensions of deploying advanced coal-fired power technologies in China. In particular, we estimate the differences in capital cost and overall cost of electricity (COE) for a variety of advanced coal-power technologies based on the technological and economic levels in 2006 in China. This paper explores the economic gaps between Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and other advanced coal power technologies, and compares 12 different power plant configurations using advanced coal power technologies.     

Wind power in Argentina: Policy instruments and economic feasibility

Despite its great wind endowment, Argentina has not still succeeded in increasing wind power share in its wholesale market. However, the energy supply problem that this country is facing from 2004 on seems to open an opportunity for wind energy projects. A wide range of legislation has recently emerged.     

矿热电炉导电系统电损的计算

本文对矿热电炉的电损与电压级,电损与负载系数的关系,以及电损与电路接触情况的关系等进行了分析和计算。     

Macroanalysis of the economic and environmental impacts of a 2005-2025 European Union bioenergy policy using the GTAP model and life cycle assessment

This paper describes a new tool to assess the medium- and long-term economic and environmental impacts of large-scale policies. The approach - macro life cycle assessment (M-LCA) - is based on life cycle assessment methodology and includes additional elements to model economic externalities and the temporal evolution of background parameters. The general equilibrium model GTAP was therefore used to simulate the economic consequences of policies in a dynamic framework representing the temporal evolution of macroeconomic and technological parameters. Environmental impacts, expressed via four indicators (human health, ecosystems, global warming and natural resources), are computed according to policy life cycle and its indirect economic consequences. In order to illustrate the approach, two 2005-2025 European Union (EU) energy policies were compared using M-LCA. The first policy, the bioenergy policy, aims to significantly increase energy generation from biomass and reduce EU energy demand for coal. The second policy, the baseline policy, is a business as usual policy where year 2000 energy policies are extended to 2025. Results show that, compared to the baseline policy, the bioenergy policy generates fewer impacts on three of the four environmental indicators (human health, global warming and natural resources) at the world and EU scales, though the results may differ significantly at a regional level. The results also highlight the key contribution of economic growth to the total environmental impacts computed for the 2005-2025 period. A comparison of the results with a more conventional consequential LCA approach illustrates the benefits of M-LCA when modeling the indirect environmental impacts of large-scale policies. The sensitivity and uncertainty analysis indicates that the method is quite robust. However, its robustness must still be evaluated based on the sensitivity and uncertainty of additional parameters, including the evolution of economic growth.     

Economic and environmental impacts of insulation in district heating pipelines

The determination of optimum thickness of insulation is often applied to energy technologies and building projects. In this study, the energy, economic and environmental evaluations of thermal insulation in district heating pipeline are discussed. The optimum insulation thickness, energy saving over a lifetime of 10 years, payback period and emissions of CO₂, CO and SO₂ are calculated for nominal pipe sizes and fuel types based on heating loads in Afyonkarahisar/Turkey. The life cycle cost analysis is used to determine the optimum thickness of the pipeline material in order to take into account the change in inflation that directly affect both the cost of pipeline material and fuels depending on fuel type. The results show that the highest value of optimum insulation thickness, energy savings, emissions and the lowest payback period are reached for a nominal pipe size of 200 mm. About three times more energy saving results by making 200 mm nominal pipe instead of 50 mm. Considering the economical and environmental advantages, the geothermal energy is a better choice and then fuel-oil. When thermal insulation is done in a district heating pipeline, there will be a significant reduction of 21% in the amount of CO₂ emitted to the atmosphere.     

Concurrent and legacy economic and environmental impacts from establishing a marine energy sector in Scotland

We examine the economic and environmental impact that the installation of 3 GW of marine energy capacity would have on Scotland. This is not a forecast, but a projection of the likely effects of meeting the Scottish Government's targets for renewable energy through the development of a marine energy sector. Energy, with a particular focus on renewables, is seen by the Scottish Government as a “key sector”, with high growth potential and the capacity to boost productivity (Scottish Government, 2007a. The Government Economic Strategy. The Scottish Government, Edinburgh). The key nature of this sector has been identified through targets being set for renewable energy to achieve environmental and economic benefits. Using a regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of Scotland we show that the development of a marine energy sector can have substantial and beneficial impacts on GDP, employment and the environment over the lifetime of the devices, given the encouragement of strong indigenous inter-industry linkages. Furthermore, there are also substantial “legacy” effects that persist well beyond the design life of the devices.     

电站锅炉蒸汽吹灰器压损问题分析与处理

本文通过结合某电站工程锅炉蒸汽吹灰器出现的压损问题,从吹灰器本体与管路参数匹配性和压损问题位置查找两方面进行分析,找出压损问题根本原因,并制定针对性处理措施,为后续电站锅炉蒸汽吹灰器同类问题处理和质量控制提升提供宝贵借鉴参考.     

非正常调水造成龙羊峡水电站发电量损失的初步分析

近年黄河非正常调水发生频繁,在缓解下游干旱的同时,也给龙羊峡水电站造成发电损失。本文分析了损失的原因和损失计算的方法,用相关关系法进行了计算,举例说明了相关关系表的应用方法。最后针对存在问题提出了加强水土保持、优化水库调度及建立合理的调水补偿机制等相应对策     

考虑需求响应和有功损耗的含可再生能源配网节点边际电价

文章提出了一种考虑需求响应和有功损耗的节点边际电价模型;考虑有功损耗的确定性和节点边际电价模型,提出了网损灵敏度因数。针对可再生能源接入配网对节点边际的影响进行了分析和建模,并建立了需求响应模型;建立了以有功损耗最小为目标的节点边际电价模型,并计及约束条件;针对概率场景,采用2m点估计法对模型进行求解。最后采用IEEE33节点模型对算例进行了仿真分析,验证了所建模型的有效性。     

Case study of upgrading potential for a small hydro power station

Schemes for upgrading hydro power are formed in many parts of the world. Small hydro power (<15 MW) constitutes a fraction of all hydro power, but upgrading can still be worthwhile. In this article, a small generating station in Sweden, with two generators, is simulated with new generators. The voltage is increased by introducing a cable wound stator, thereby the transformers can be excluded, and more efficient generators are introduced with a higher power factor. These improvements lead to an active power increase from 8.9 to 9.4 MW per generator, which means an increased total annual production by 4.2 GW h.     

A feasibility study of hybrid wind power systems for remote communities

Global warming, climate change and the recent global financial crisis have emphasised the need for reducing carbon emissions whilst also ensuring economic feasibility. This study addresses this topic by investigating the technical and economic feasibility of replacing diesel power generation with hybrid wind power systems in remote communities. For this purpose, the economic, technical and environmental characteristics of eight different hybrid wind power systems were established and compared in respect to their performance in the isolated community of French Island (Victoria, Australia). The results obtained in this study demonstrated the economic and environmental superiority of the hybrid wind–diesel–battery system over all other systems studied in this project. This system was found to have the lowest net present cost and cost per kWh among the modelled systems. Furthermore, the results clearly indicated that hybrid wind power systems are, in general, a feasible and preferable alternative to diesel power generation on the French Island. The research methodology and procedure that were developed in this project can be used to investigate and identify the most viable hybrid power system for other remote communities based on their specific environmental, social and economic circumstances.