Fossil Units Research Articles

Carbon offsets compatible with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming: Call for a direct action

The societal commitment to combat climate change is reflected in the Paris Agreement with the primary focus to mitigate climate change by reducing or limiting greenhouse gas emissions. To facilitate the achievement of emission reduction targets, innovative carbon crediting and offsetting mechanisms have been developed. These mechanisms enable stakeholders to offset their emissions by using carbon offset credits if needed. These carbon offset methodologies can be classified into two main categories. The first category involves directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the environment through green and emission-capturing solutions, such as reforestation and carbon capture and storage. The second category focuses on achieving a relative reduction in carbon emissions by using or investing in technologies with lower carbon intensity compared to business-as-usual practices, such as renewable energy. The reduction achieved in this second category is assumed to be equivalent to not emitting the calculated amount of emissions. However, both categories generally do not address the emissions' sources directly. This study introduces a third approach by proposing the creation of a carbon offset market at the emissions' source, offering a novel way to directly tackle the origins of carbon emissions. This approach aims to prevent emissions from being released in the first place, directly addressing the source of emissions. It aligns with the precautionary principle, which advocates for proactive measures to prevent harm. This approach should not be confused with the non-consumption approach, which is a top-down strategy focused on reducing demand. Instead, it is a bottom-up approach that seeks to reduce the supply of emissions. This study developed a four-step methodology for implementing a carbon offset market at the source, starting with fixing fossil fuel extraction per producer, then fixing the profit margin per unit of extraction, then calculating the carbon content per unit of fossil fuel, and finally creating a carbon offset market at the source where one can offset their carbon footprint by paying an amount equivalent to the profit from fossil fuel extraction to the producer in exchange for a reduction in an equivalent amount of fossil fuel extraction. It also offers insights into emission reductions potential through this approach, along with cost calculations per unit of reduction based on historical records, literature data, and statistical databases. The main advantage of the proposed approach is its bottom-up focus on reducing the supply of emissions, which leads to tangible and quantifiable reductions in real time. This method eliminates potential loopholes in traditional methodologies, ensuring that the reductions are both immediate and verifiable.

Assessing the eco-environmental aspects of fossil fuels-based units substitution of Point Aconi thermal power plant by green-based energies: a case study of Canada

AbstractCanada possesses significant potential in harnessing renewable energy from its vast and diverse geography, which can generate clean electricity. This paper presents a model that replaces fossil fuels used in a proposed thermal power plant in Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, with photovoltaic and wind turbine units based on the region’s climate conditions. The research results are based on evaluating multiple thermal power plants worldwide and examining various wind turbines and PV panels from different companies to ensure accuracy. The chosen units that best suit the location’s geographical and biological conditions, transmission, and operation costs demonstrate that the power plant currently consumes approximately 47 tons of coal and petroleum coke per hour. Replacing these materials with the proposed green units makes it possible to reduce environmental pollution by eliminating almost 165 tons of CO2 and other pollutants per hour while increasing the plant’s efficiency and independence from fossil fuel price variations. The presented structure’s ROI is approximately 20 years, which is reasonable compared to the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing such a structure and converting the thermal power plant to green units.

Diatom record the holocene marine facies deposition history in inner bay of Pearl River Estuary, South China

To understand the evolution of river mouth systems under natural and human being forces is a critical task in coastal and marine science studies. We present a new sedimentary record with diatom, grainsize analysis and radiocarbon age dating, recovered from a drilling core in an inner bay of the Pearl River Estuary, South China, in order to describe marine facies depositional history and to examine relative palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvrionmental changes during the Holocene. The occurrence of marine diatoms at ca. 9,000 cal. yr. BP provides marine facies starting point at this core profile in the shoal area, west of the Pearl River Estuary. Three fossil diatom units were distinguished following the early to late Holocene epoch division. The changed diatom bio-facies before and after ca. 8,200 cal. yr. BP, especially in coastal and neritic species relative abundances contrast, offers a diatom floral response to the "8.2 kyr" event. In middle Holocene, enhanced diatom absolute abundances of tropical open-sea water species and increased neritic species number and relative abundances, with more sand fractions, provide evidences of diatom bio-facies response to higher sea-level and strong hydrodynamic clearly. Following the regression, fossil diatom flora experienced a long-term decline after ca. 5,500 cal. yr. BP, until to ca. 1,400 cal. yr. BP. In the past ca. 1,400 years, there has been a clear increase in the absolute abundances and biodiversity of diatoms, along with a greater presence of coarse granularity fractions. This is a strong signal that human activities influenced local environmental change, combined with natural forces.An interesting phenomenon of higher sedimentation rate was observed in three periods as a millennial-scale pulse, at ca. 9,000–8,000 cal. yr. BP, ca. 6,500 - 5,500 cal. yr. BP, and ca. 1,000 - 0 cal. yr. BP. Meanwhile, two periods of lower sedimentation rate over longer time interval occurred during those pulses. Through regional correlation, this study presents a record of deposition after ca. 9,000 cal. yr. BP in Holocene marine facies, provide improved understanding of the west shoal evolution history in Pearl River Estuary, and natural and human being impact on diatom flora and coastal geo-environment in low latitude river mouth systems in Asian Monsoon realm.

Capacity Credit of Solar PV Projects – Oman’s Main Interconnected System Case Study

Due to high growth in electricity demand, it is important to add more dispatchablegeneration capacity in power systems to maintain demand-supply balance in real time. In many power systems, fossil fuel-based units such as gas or coal power plants are used to maintain high-reliability standards during peak demand hours. Although intermittent renewable energy generation facilities such as solar PV systems are used as a fuel saver, they can offset part of the load during peak hours. Capacity credit measures the contribution of a power plant to reliably meet demand. Estimating capacity credit of solar PV systems is important to ensure the adequacy and security of electricity supply. In this article, the capacity credit of solar PV power plants in the Main Interconnected System (MIS) of Oman is modelled. Oman’s MIS considered in this study has 6,372 MW gas-based generation capacity, a negligible solar PV capacity, and 5,712 MW peak load. The results revealed that the capacity credit of solar PV plants is high at low solar PV penetration levels. However, it decreases drastically as solar PV capacity increases. For example, the first 500MW plant has a capacity credit of about 120 MW. When the cumulative installed solar PV capacity is 2000MW, the next 500MW plant has a capacity credit of only 26MW.

Economical operation of modern power grids incorporating uncertainties of renewable energy sources and load demand using the adaptive fitness-distance balance-based stochastic fractal search algorithm

With the increase in the world population and the rapid developments in technology, the energy demands on modern electricity grids are also rising. In order to meet these demands, power systems are increasingly using renewable energy resources (RESs) in addition to traditional fossil fuel-powered generation units and thus, the structures being implemented in electricity grids are more complex. Consequently, the planning and operation of modern power systems presents important problems, one of which is that of the optimal power flow (OPF). With the integration of RESs, which are usually intermittent in nature, the OPF becomes a more difficult problem to solve. In this study, the OPF problem was designed under different operating cases, considering thermal, wind, solar, small-hydro, and tidal energy systems and load demand uncertainties. The adaptive fitness-distance balance selection-based stochastic fractal search (AFDB-SFS) algorithm was proposed to solve this designed OPF problem. The results for the proposed approach from the experimental studies were statistically evaluated and compared with the results obtained from competitive optimization algorithms in the literature. The comparison demonstrated that the proposed AFDB-SFS algorithm was able to outperform the other algorithms in finding the optimal solution, and convergence speed to the optimal solution. According to the experimental study results, the proposed AFDB-SFS algorithm was able to optimize cost by 5.7362%, 0.0954%, 7.6244%, 0.17871%, 2.4307%, 0.12585%, 2.01729%, 1.7408%, 1.95317%, 3.5486%, 2.2007%, and 1.5203% better than the AO, GBO, GPC, HGS, HHO, RUN, TSO, LSHADE, LSHADE-EPSIN, LSHADE-CNEPSIN, LSHADE-SPACMA, and MadDE optimization algorithms in the proposed OPF problem. The source codes of the AFDB-SFS algorithm (proposed method) can be accessed at this link: https://ch.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/118485-afdb-sfs.

The Driving Forces of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions in the United States: A Decomposition Analysis

This paper uses the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) approach to decomposition analysis to identify the factors that influence changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States.  The LMDI approach decomposes CO2 emissions into specific determinants.  The data set includes the 50 states plus the District of Columbia from 1998 – 2018.  The five factors that influence the change in CO2 emissions include the emissions per unit of fossil fuel consumption, share of fossil fuels in total energy consumption, energy intensity, GDP per capita, and population.  The results indicate that, during the 20-year period, CO2 emissions declined in 36 states plus the District of Columbia.  The reduction in energy intensity served as the most important factor in the change of CO2 emissions, offsetting 63 percent of the effects of per capita GDP and population.  From the perspective of climate change, the importance of a change in energy intensity demonstrates the effectiveness of a decrease in primary energy consumption per unit of GDP.   

Clean Generation Mix Transition: Large-Scale Displacement of Fossil Fuel-Fired Units to Cut Emissions

To reduce greenhouse emissions and tackle anthropogenic climate change, more and more fossil fuel-fired units (FFUs) are being displaced by renewable generation units (RGUs). Due to the variability and uncertainty of renewable energy sources, generation expansion planning (GEP) that considers the large-scale displacement of FFUs (DFU) has become a great challenge. To realize a clean generation mix transition with a suitable and fairer multistage FFU phaseout schedule, this article proposes a distributionally robust GEP–DFU model, which explicitly coordinates large-scale DFU and the high penetration of RGUs. The Wasserstein moment metric and Benders decomposition are deployed to deal with the renewable generation uncertainty and reduce the computational complexity. Case studies on a practical provincial power system in China verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach and reveal how the system’s generation mix could be transformed into China’s first 100% renewable electricity supply paradigm by 2040.

PALAEONTOLOGY OF THE UPPER PLIOCENE MARINE DEPOSITS OF RIO VACCARUZZA, VILLALVERNIA (PIEDMONT, NW ITALY)

Abstract. The topmost Argille Azzurre (beds 1-2) and the basal Sabbie di Asti (beds 3-9) formations in the Villalvernia area are analysed in terms of palaeoecological and taxonomic features; the succession is 6 m thick and dates back to the middle Piacenzian within the Globorotalia bononiensis acme. The upper boundary of the clayey Bed 2 corresponds to an unconformity reflecting Pliocene tectonic activity. The study is focused on the fossil assemblages of beds 3, 4 and 9. The sandy Bed 3 yields 362 mollusc taxa; their assemblage is allochthonous and mixes infra- to circalittoral species accumulated by hyperpycnal mass-transport. The same mechanism is responsible for the origin of the overlying fossil unit (Bed 4) with numerous specimens of the Entobia-Gastrochaenolites ichnofacies. The autochthonous fossil assemblage of Bed 9 yields 308 molluscs, plus three brachiopods and ten fish taxa; most of them refer to the Posidonia meadow (HP), and their autochthony is shown by taphonomic features as skeletal integrity, mixing of successive generations or the limitation to juvenile ontogenetic stages of vagile and temporarily byssate species for which the HP performs a nursery function. Three brachiopods and 52 molluscs are here reported for the first time from the Pliocene of Piedmont. In the final chapter “Systematic Palaeontology” four brachiopods and 29 molluscs are described, among which there are eight new gastropod species: Crepidula bellardii n. sp., Conus dellabellai n. sp., Conus villalvernensis n. sp., Odetta chirlii n. sp., Ondina curta n. sp., Ondina elongata n. sp., Ondina pseudovitrea n. sp., Anisocycla subcylindrica n. sp.

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Energy mix, technological change, and the environment

This paper studies the relationship between the energy mix and the environment using a theoretical framework in which two alternative energy sources are considered: fossil fuels (dirty energy) and renewable energy (clean energy). We find that a positive aggregate productivity shock increases energy consumption and emissions but reduces energy intensity and emissions per unit of output as renewable energy consumption increases, that is, carbon emissions are procyclical but emissions per unit of output are countercyclical. Second, an energy efficiency improvement provokes a “rebound effect” above 100% (the backfire effect), resulting in a rise of pollutant emissions by increasing energy use. Third, a technological improvement in emissions leads to a reduction in emissions per unit of fossil fuel, but also implies a slow-down in the adoption of renewable energy sources. Finally, we consider the case of a decentralized economy in which the government chooses an optimal specific tax on fossil fuel to maximize social welfare. We show that the “second-best” policy is highly effective in correcting the negative effects of the environmental externality and able to almost achive the centralized economy outcome.

Exergy based evaluation of power plants for sustainability and economic performance identification

Enhanced sustainability and efficiency are among the prime indicators to achieve in the power generation sector of any country. The decline in efficiency might be caused by improper utilization of fuels and increasing entropy in outdated generation units. Reduced efficiency in power generation is particularly detrimental for the sustainability in developing countries, as resources are limited and need to be carefully allocated and maintained. Exergy analysis based on the laws of thermodynamics are currently gaining traction among researchers to study the overall performances of power generation units. Taking Bangladesh as a case study, this work investigates the power generation data for the country since 2009 till 2019 to study the internal energy losses of natural gas, oil, high-speed diesel, coal, and hydro based plants and provides a baseline for investment policy formulation. Our study found that, due to lack of maintenance and proper planning during the initial phases, the overall energy efficiencies among these sectors are relatively low, staying in the range of 34.55%–36.1% while the exergy efficiencies are 35.07%–36.59%. Corresponding exergetic parameters as depletion number, exergy sustainability index, relative irreversibility, lack of production, cumulative exergy loss, waste exergy ratio, and environmental effect factor pointed to similar findings in terms of sustainability as well. Comparing these parameters, it is observed that hydroelectric plants are more sustainable and efficient compared to fossil fuel-based generation units. Cost estimation of fuels and financial losses in the power generation sector are also explored for a better understanding of the return on investment.

Basic Microstructural Characterization of Second Phases in Homogeneous Weld Joint Made of X6CrNiNbN25-20 Steel After Long-Term Exposure Time at 973 K

Abstract New blocks of fossil fuel power plants designed for steam temperatures above 873 K require advanced stainless steels as material for superheater or reheater systems. Weld joints are critical parts in fossil power units. Great attention is paid to the exploitation of new steel grades with higher material properties. In the austenitic steels family, the superior grade is undoubtedly HR3C steel (X6CrNiNbN25-20). A detailed knowledge on stability and microstructure composition during thermal exposure of the weld joints made from HR3C is necessary in order to use them in fossil fuel power plants with ultrasupercritical (USC) and new advanced ultrasupercritical (A-USC) steam parameters. The aim of the paper is to identify critical minor phases in HR3C steel, which allow acceleration of creep damage. The σ-phase and rough carbides M23C6 type is considered as such a phases in this steel. In this study, the σ-phase is identified and studied in more detail in relation to the development of creep damage at 973 K. Experimental material of the homogeneous HR3C weld joints in two states: in the as-welded state (AW) and after the postweld heat treatment (PWHT). Weld joints were manufactured by orbital welding using the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) method, heat input Qs = 1600 J/mm, interpass 423 K, three beads. Nickel-base alloy UTP A6170 Co (equivalent to Thermanit 617) was used as a filler material. The PWHT was carried out at the temperature of 1503 K for 15 min. Stress rupture tests were performed on the cross-weld (CW) joints of tubes ø 38 × 6.3 mm at 973 K with times to rupture up to nearly 22,000 h. The polished surface of the longitudinal sections was subjected to color etching in Murakami (30 g K3(Fe(CN)6), 30 g KOH, 60 ml H2O) in order to highlight the σ-phase. Several microscopic techniques were used for the study. The results were supplemented by creep, grain size, and microhardness data hardness vickers (HV) 0.5. The PWHT specimens exhibited an average σ-phase size of approximately 5 μm as well as AW specimens in specimens with short time to rupture (tr). However, tr such as 20,000 h, the average σ-phase size already reached dangerous border 10 μm. The AW specimens as opposed to the PWHT specimens did not show a noticeable growth of austenitic grains in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). In specimens after PWHT, the average grain size in HAZ was more than twice that of the body material (BM). It is worth noting that creep ductility values of specimens in the state after PWHT are very low, which is the result of coarse-grained structure in the HAZ and accelerated precipitation of σ-phase particles along grain boundaries during creep at 973 K.

An optimization model for integrated portfolio management in wholesale and retail power markets

Abstract: The increasing interactions and interdependences of the wholesale and retail markets in the power sector have created the need for development of integrated approaches for the optimal portfolio management of vertically integrated utilities, aiming at drastically limiting their risk exposure. This work presents a generic mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for the optimal clearing of a wholesale power market including market products widely used in power exchanges such as block and hourly orders. Based on the market clearing results, it then calculates the economic balance of vertically integrated utilities participating in retail markets, covering the whole value chain in the power sector. By considering a wide range of technology options in the wholesale market, including fossil fuel-based thermal units with or without carbon capture and sequestration capability (CCS), nuclear power, renewable energy, electricity trading and storage options, as well as different types of consumers in the retail market (low, medium and high voltage), the model determines the optimal electricity generation mix, the system’s marginal price and its environmental performance, as well as the net economic position of each power utility in both wholesale and retail markets. A series of sensitivity analyses on the CO2 emission pricing, the renewables’ penetration, and the applied environmental policy has been conducted to investigate the influence of several economic, technical and policy parameters on the operational scheduling and financial planning of each utility. The model applicability has been assessed in an illustrative case study of a medium-sized power system considering also its interconnections with neighboring power systems. The model results quantify the risk facing electric utilities participating in both wholesale and retail markets under several market conditions and with different schemes on the generation side, as well as with different representation shares on the demand side. The proposed optimization framework can provide useful insights on the determination of the optimal integrated generation and retail portfolios that address the new market operating challenges of contemporary power systems, subject to several technical and economic constraints, enabling also the design of medium-term operational strategies for vertically integrated power utilities.

In-Situ Capture of Mercury in Coal-Fired Power Plants Using High Surface Energy Fly Ash.

Coal-fired power plants represent the largest source of mercury emissions worldwide. Using fly ash, a byproduct of these plants, as a sorbent to remove mercury has proven to be difficult. Here, we found that the fresh surface of modified fly ash has good adsorption performance, and it declines obviously with time because of unsaturation characteristics on surface. On the basis of this mechanism, our study provides a method to in situ capture mercury with high surface energy modified fly ash by mechanochemical and bromide treatment. Fresh modified fly ash with active sites is injected into the flue to directly adsorb mercury. A continuous system within a full-scale 300 MWe plant showed that the mercury adsorption performance of the modified fly ash is similar to that of activated carbon, which is the industry benchmark for the treatment of mercury emission in fossil power generation units. This is a breakthrough and indicates that modified fly ash can become an efficient and convenient industrial sorbent for the removal of mercury.

A nestling-sized skeleton of Edmontosaurus (Ornithischia, Hadrosauridae) from the Hell Creek Formation of northeastern Montana, U.S.A., with an analysis of ontogenetic limb allometry

ABSTRACTThe Hell Creek Formation preserves one of the most intensely studied late Cretaceous terrestrial fossil units. Over 22 dinosaur genera are currently recognized from this unit, but the record of juvenile individuals is surprisingly limited. Here, we document a nestling hadrosaur that represents the first occurrence of an articulated nestling dinosaur skeleton from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) of North America. The specimen (UCMP 128181) preserves a partial scapula, nearly complete rib cage, vertebral series from the shoulder to mid-tail, a large portion of the pelvic girdle, and both hind limbs through a combination of bone and/or natural impressions in the concretion. It is assignable to the genus Edmontosaurus based on the shape of the prepubic process, or blade, of the pubis. The specimen represents the earliest ontogenetic growth stage of Edmontosaurus cf. annectens and possesses a femur length of 148 mm. It greatly contributes as a new end member to a sample of associated Edmontosaurus skeletons that is well suited for allometrically testing the hypothesized ontogenetic gait shift in hadrosaurs from bipedal juveniles to quadrupedal adults using individual limb proportions. Although UCMP 128181 does not preserve forelimbs, regressions based on associated Edmontosaurus skeletons (N = 25) reveal overall isometry of the forelimb relative to the hind limb, and within each limb. These data indicate that Edmontosaurus nestlings were anatomically capable of fully quadrupedal locomotion and provide no compelling evidence to support an ontogenetic gait shift in hadrosaurids.SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVPCitation for this article: Wosik, M., M. B. Goodwin, and D. C. Evans. 2018. A nestling-sized skeleton of Edmontosaurus (Ornithischia, Hadrosauridae) from the Hell Creek Formation of northeastern Montana, U.S.A., with an analysis of ontogenetic limb allometry. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1398168.

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OPINION Reactions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail C&EN, 2017, 95 (40), p 4October 9, 2017Cite this:C&EN 95, 40, 4AbstractLetters to the editor Wind power The initial statement that wind power is generating electricity in Europe in, what I assume, is the equivalent cost in U.S. dollars ($59 to $125 per MWh) sounds enticing (C&EN, July 24, page 20). Apparently, that is competitive, according to the European Commission. In the U.S., that amount would not compete with anything. It is, in fact, two to five times the nominal cost of power from baseload units in the U.S. The competition in the electricity market is driving costs to $20 per MWh and below. Current market pressures from natural gas generation are driving many other fossil units as well as nuclear units into bankruptcy, or [they are] decommissioning. It is surprising that the anxiety over global warming gets pushed aside in this instance in the light of lower cost generation. In the current U.S. market, neither solar nor wind can beView: PDF | Full Text HTML

Cleaning up the air: effectiveness of air quality policy for SO<sub>2</sub> and NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> emissions in China

Abstract. Air quality observations by satellite instruments are global and have a regular temporal resolution, which makes them very useful in studying long-term trends in atmospheric species. To monitor air quality trends in China for the period 2005–2015, we derive SO2 columns and NOx emissions on a provincial level with improved accuracy. To put these trends into perspective they are compared with public data on energy consumption and the environmental policies of China. We distinguish the effect of air quality regulations from economic growth by comparing them relatively to fossil fuel consumption. Pollutant levels, per unit of fossil fuel, are used to assess the effectiveness of air quality regulations. We note that the desulfurization regulations enforced in 2005–2006 only had a significant effect in the years 2008–2009, when a much stricter control of the actual use of the installations began. For national NOx emissions a distinct decreasing trend is only visible from 2012 onwards, but the emission peak year differs from province to province. Unlike SO2, emissions of NOx are highly related to traffic. Furthermore, regulations for NOx emissions are partly decided on a provincial level. The last 3 years show a reduction both in SO2 and NOx emissions per fossil fuel unit, since the authorities have implemented several new environmental regulations. Despite an increasing fossil fuel consumption and a growing transport sector, the effects of air quality policy in China are clearly visible. Without the air quality regulations the concentration of SO2 would be about 2.5 times higher and the NO2 concentrations would be at least 25 % higher than they are today in China.

Considering Carbon Capture and Storage in Electricity Generation Expansion Planning

Nowadays, CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas pollutant and fossil fuel-fired electrical power plants are the major producer of CO2. In this regard, it is required to equip the electrical power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. This paper addresses a multistage generation expansion planning (GEP) including nuclear units, renewable energy units, and different fossil fuel-fired units equipped with CCS. The proposed GEP minimizes the planning costs and CO2 at the same time, while it considers CCS cost and revenue. The problem is mathematically expressed as a constrained, mixed-integer, and nonlinear optimization problem and solved using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The problem considers all practical constraints including security constraints of the network, and the generating units constraints of operation. Simulation results demonstrate that utilizing CCS significantly impacts on the planning output. Eventually, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis is carried out based on the CCS cost and revenue.

Grid modernization for enhancing the resilience, reliability, economics, sustainability, and security of electricity grid in an uncertain environment

This paper reviews the merits of modernizing the power grid and discusses the way electric utilities in various countries are directing their practices toward o ering enhanced sustainability, reliability, resilience, security, and economics to their respective consumers. The modernization of the electricity grid, which has evolved as the brainchild of electricity restructuring, has been made all the more urgent by the virtually pervasive dependence of modern lives on a reliable, clean, and secure supply of a ordable electricity. The electric utility industry restructuring, which has staged many institutional, regulatory, and business models, has enabled the modern electricity grid to take full advantage of a range of available energy sources and modern technologies pertaining to prosumers and transactive energy, renewable supply, storage, energy eciency, climate change and carbon capture, electri cation of the transportation industry, microgrids and resilience, and large fossil units that have helped the electric utility industry meet its global objectives. Understanding the dynamics of grid modernization, which can o er a clear appreciation for the use of innovation in electric power systems, and the impact that grid modernization will have on individual lives, is among the issues which will be discussed in this paper.

What is the fuel of the future? Prospects under the Clean Power Plan

EPA proposed the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to regulate CO2 emissions from existing power plants. The CPP establishes state-by-state emission rate goals for affected fossil units, largely existing coal and natural gas combined cycle generators. A key element of the proposal is its flexibility mechanisms, including the ability of states to trade obligations with other states and to convert to mass-based targets. How states decide to take advantage of this flexibility may have significant impacts on fuel markets of the future. This analysis uses the DIEM economy/electricity model to examine the consequences of a range of these alternative choices for fuel demands across the United States. Key findings for the June 2014 proposal include: the CPP tends to continue an ongoing shift in fuel consumption by electricity generators from coal to natural gas, a rate-based approach to CPP leads to more gas use in the early years than a mass-based approach but the effect disappears over time as new more-efficient gas units are constructed, and there may be substantial regional variation and stresses in fuel markets, especially over the next five years.