The soft path revisited: Policies that drive decentralization of electric power generation in the contiguous U.S.

Abstract

New renewable energy generators such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines have the ability to be sited in a more decentralized manner than conventional generators such as coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, or natural gas plants. However, at the commercial scale, these new renewable generators are often built in existing generation corridors and are not necessarily more decentralized. This paper analyzes the degree of centralization of generators in the contiguous U.S. between 2001 and 2018 and identifies the state level policies that may be driving differences in the degree of centralization between states and regions. The results show that community solar programs such as those in North Carolina and Minnesota have driven greater decentralization of generation while community choice aggregation programs such as those in California have not led to greater decentralization of generation. The degree of centralization of generation assets has implications for sociotechnical systems, communities, energy security, and resiliency against manmade and natural disasters.