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Overview

Analysis Collaborative Topics
Collaboration Topic Matrix
Topic A.
Topic B.
Topic C.
Topic D.
Topic E.
Topic F.
Topic G.
Topic H.

Collaborators

Analysis Activities by Organization

Inaugural Workshop

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Analysis Collaboration Topics

(D) Better Representation of Regional Technology Characterizations and Transmission Constraints in Energy Models

Improve models to better represent regional technology characterizations; improve transmission constraint representation.

Topic collaborators are currently working on implementation plans, based on the workshop discussions — please watch these pages for updates. You can also find out more about the initiative participants on the collaborators page.

Activity No. 1 – Inventory Existing Analysis/Modeling Capabilities

  • Goal: Determine what tools are available now that are required for regional questions
  • Current related activities:
    • Start from REMAP (renewable energy modeling analysis partnership) to assess what models and tools exist
    • For DOE, the Laboratory Working Group is a good place to start
    • EPA is investigating regionality in MARKAL – for REMI (jobs) and for RGGI (emissions)
    • NETL work on GEMSET (a model that looks at future cost of electricity, environmental outputs – includes all information about all power plants and demand loads); willing to lead coordinating its use collaboratively
    • Disaster planning and emergency services – NETL using GIS to identify best way to plan for energy impacts
  • Next steps: (1) Create a comprehensive inventory the capabilities of tools, their strengths, weaknesses and capabilities of organizations
  • Lead: DOE-EERE-PAE, NETL
  • Participants: States, CESA, DOE labs, EPA

Activity No. 2 – Share Existing Data, if Possible

Activity Update (January 2007) -

Walter Short:

  • Proposed an effort between NETL and NREL to collaborate on and share GIS data.
  • Both NETL and NREL have GIS capabilities and large amounts of data in GIS format and a collaborative effort to share this data, especially with respect to the issues related to geospatial constraints for coal power generation.
  • Collaboration to identify and interpret the critical data elements is still needed for the modeling of coal plants and renewables — e.g. water resources, rail capacities, renewable resources, etc.

Activity Update (December 2006) - Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Both NETL and NREL have GIS capabilities and a large amount of data in GIS format. A collaborative effort to share this data, especially with respect to the issues related to geospatial constraints for coal power generation, would be symbiotic. Perhaps more importantly, collaboration to identify and interpret the critical data elements still needed for the modeling of coal plants and renewables would be useful — e.g. water resources, rail capacities, renewable resources, etc.

Activity Overview

  • Goal: Share GIS informational databases so we all have access to better, more comprehensive information
  • Current related activities: Many organizations use GIS - it is an important tool for targeting decision-makers, because it provides easily understandable maps.
  • Next steps:
    • Share non-proprietary GIS databases
    • For any that are proprietary, try to negotiate a multiple-entity purchase together (might require change in contracting)
  • Lead: DOE-EERE-PAE
  • Participants: NETL, states, EPA

Activity No. 3 – Examine Regionality and Transmission Improvements in Existing Models

Activity Update (March 2007) -

Chris Namovicz reported that EIA continues to assess restructuring of NEMS electricity market regions. EIA has based its regions on NERC regions/subregions, which have recently undergone significant revision. At the same time, many grid operational and market responsibilities have been assumed by regional transmission organizations (RTOs) or similar entities. EIA is trying to determine which aggregation (new NERC regions or RTO regions) best represents the capacity planning, dispatch, and other power market activities being modeled in NEMS.

EIA also is developing model constructs for NEMS that will allow a wider variety of electric generation resources (especially renewables) to be built in one region to serve load growth/demand in another region. Structures will be based on current, more limited, inter-regional capacity expansion options within the model, but taking into account regional supply and demand patterns unique to renewable resources.

EIA has had preliminary discussions with NREL on developing wind resource "supply curves" based on proximity to demand-centers rather than based strictly on location of supply. Originally conceived as a proxy representation of inter-regional capacity expansion, this approach may yet offer advantages to the inter-regional capacity expansion approach now being developed by EIA, in terms of potentially more accurate representation of transmission construction costs.

Activity Update (January 2007) -

Walter Short reported that NREL has developed a spatial model (GoPipes) capable of optimizing the layout of conversion plants and pipelines/transport to meet loads at minimal costs accounting for economies of scale in both the conversion plant and the pipelines. This tool could be adapted for use in other applications such as LNG terminal/pipeline networks, coal gasification/liquefaction, CO2 sequestration, etc.

Activity Update (December 2006) - Optimal Infrastructure Development

As a part of its work on the development of hydrogen infrastructure, NREL has developed a spatial model (GoPipes) capable of optimizing the layout of conversion plants and pipelines/transport to meet loads at minimal costs accounting for economies of scale in both the conversion plant and the pipelines. This tool could be adapted for use in other applications such as LNG terminal/pipeline networks, coal gasification/liquefaction, CO2 sequestration, etc.

Activity Overview

  • Goal: Identify ways to improve regionality and transmission constraint representation in existing models
  • Current related activities: (1) SEDS modeling, (2) NEMS is considering whether to continue to represent NERC regions, or if they should switch to RTOs
  • Next steps:
    • Examine value of incorporating regionality into SEDS for sensitivity analyses, and cost-benefit trade off of good level of regionality vs. time to run the model (NREL and NETL)
    • Investigate whether NEMS should represent NERC regions or RTOs. What data changes are needed? Is this worth pursuing? (EIA, NREL, NETL, FERC)
    • Consider how best to capture the actual use of existing transmission lines in these models (NREL);
    • Hold a call to discuss the above three activities; perhaps later hold a web forum to discuss progress with states and other interested parties
    • Perform sensitivity analyses within a model and across models – explore sensitivity of which variables need uncertainty ranges
      • Michael Reed is getting trained on Analytica to operate SEDS
      • REMAP effort with respect to renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies
  • Lead: NREL – Walter Short, EIA – Chris Namovicz, NETL- Michael Reed
  • Participants: FERC, states, CESA, others?

 

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