An integrated assessment of electric power resource options in the US Virgin Islands
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Alternative Energy Development, Inc., Silver Springs, MD (United States)
- Vermont Energy Investment Corp., Burlington, VT (United States)
As with other island-based, insular power systems, the avoided cost of power for the Water and Power Authority (WAPA) of the US Virgin Islands (USVI) is high relative to that of US mainland electric utilities. First, the need to produce potable water requires that WAPA`s electric generating system operate at efficiency levels lower than would result in the absence of the need to jointly produce water and power. Second, the inability to purchase power from neighboring utilities necessitates higher reserve margins. These two operating conditions suggest that integrated resource planning (IRP) should be especially attractive to WAPA. IRP is a planning paradigm that gives electric utilities more options to choose from when making resource selections and, therefore, generally results in lower costs. Utilities look to the demand side as a source of resources--i.e., demand side management (DSM)--in this planning process. They then select the least-cost mix of resource options. In this study, we take the first steps toward implementing an IRP process in the USVI. Using its existing resource base and the supply and DSM options that it has in the future, we simulated WAPA`s resource selection process over a 20-year planning horizon using SafePlan, an IRP planning model. The results suggest that WAPA can significantly reduce its cost of providing electricity by implementing DSM programs. The cost of generating electricity and the amount of kWh needed can be reduced nearly nine percent by implementing cost-effective DSM programs. Cost and kWh savings are greater under less favorable assumptions about (1) the input costs for generating electricity and (2) other conditions that WAPA will confront in the future. The results also indicate that DSM programs targeted at the residential sector can save, 500 gallons of water annually for participants in the program.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10143478
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-12186; ON: DE94010027
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Feb 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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