The Future of Low-Carbon Electricity

Journal Article · Tue Oct 17 04:00:00 EDT 2017 · Annual Review of Environment and Resources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102016-061138· OSTI ID:1410030

Greenblatt, Jeffery B. ^[1]; Brown, Nicholas R. ^[2]; Slaybaugh, Rachel ^[3]; Wilks, Theresa ^[4]; Stewart, Emma ^[5]; McCoy, Sean T. ^[6]

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1. Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720,
2. Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
3. Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
4. Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
5. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550
6. Global Security, E Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550

We review future global demand for electricity and major technologies positioned to supply it with minimal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: renewables (wind, solar, water, geothermal, and biomass), nuclear fission, and fossil power with CO2 capture and sequestration. We discuss two breakthrough technologies (space solar power and nuclear fusion) as exciting but uncertain additional options for low-net GHG emissions (i.e., low-carbon) electricity generation. In addition, we discuss grid integration technologies (monitoring and forecasting of transmission and distribution systems, demand-side load management, energy storage, and load balancing with low-carbon fuel substitutes). For each topic, recent historical trends and future prospects are reviewed, along with technical challenges, costs, and other issues as appropriate. Although no technology represents an ideal solution, their strengths can be enhanced by deployment in combination, along with grid integration that forms a critical set of enabling technologies to assure a reliable and robust future low-carbon electricity system.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• OSTI ID: 1410030
• Report Number(s): LLNL-JRNL-716422
• Journal Information: Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Journal Name: Annual Review of Environment and Resources Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 42; ISSN 1543-5938
• Publisher: Annual Reviews
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
13 HYDRO ENERGY
14 SOLAR ENERGY
17 WIND ENERGY
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
25 ENERGY STORAGE