Reduction in Emissions by Massive Solar Plant Integration in the US Power Grid

Esteban A. Soto, Ebisa Wollega, Alexander Vizcarrondo Ortega, Andrea Hernandez-Guzman and Lisa Bosman ()
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Esteban A. Soto: Sustainability Solutions Group, Vancouver, BC V6B 1G8, Canada
Ebisa Wollega: Department of Engineering, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO 81001, USA
Alexander Vizcarrondo Ortega: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR 00680, USA
Andrea Hernandez-Guzman: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR 00680, USA
Lisa Bosman: Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Fossil fuels, the predominant energy source in the United States, have been identified as major contributors to environmental pollution through the release of harmful emissions. As a countermeasure, there has been an increasing focus on the exploration and development of cleaner energy alternatives to alleviate the environmental degradation caused by fossil fuels and to satisfy the growing energy needs. This study conducted scenario analyses to evaluate the impact of integrating solar energy into specific US power grids on reducing carbon emissions. The analysis encompassed electrical systems within California, New England, New York, and the Southwest, utilizing datasets from the Energy Information Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Energy Information Administration dataset includes information on net generation according to each source and carbon emissions according to fuel type, whereas the National Renewable Energy Laboratory dataset provides hourly projections for 6000 theoretical photovoltaic installations and detailed solar energy output data every five minutes over a year. Our findings indicated a notable decrease in carbon dioxide emissions following the introduction of solar power facilities. The most significant reductions were observed in the Southwest and California, attributed to solar plant integration. Conversely, New York and New England were identified as regions requiring additional policy measures and incentives to meet the emission reduction goals.

Keywords: PV; photovoltaic; solar energy; electric vehicles; EV (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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