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A Prospective Analysis of the Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1337612· OSTI ID:1337612
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  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
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This report evaluates the future costs, benefits, and other impacts of renewable energy used to meet current state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). It also examines a future scenario where RPSs are expanded. The analysis examines changes in electric system costs and retail electricity prices, which include all fixed and operating costs, including capital costs for all renewable, non-renewable, and supporting (e.g., transmission and storage) electric sector infrastructure; fossil fuel, uranium, and biomass fuel costs; and plant operations and maintenance expenditures. The analysis evaluates three specific benefits: air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use. It also analyzes two other impacts, renewable energy workforce and economic development, and natural gas price suppression. This analysis finds that the benefits or renewable energy used to meet RPS polices exceed the costs, even when considering the highest cost and lowest benefit outcomes.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Strategic Programs (SP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1337612
Report Number(s):
NREL/TP--6A20-67455; LBNL--1006962
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
air pollution
cost-benefit analysis
economic development
greenhouse gas
prospective analysis
renewable energy
renewable portfolio standards
state policy
water