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U.S. Department of Energy
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Climate-Water-Electricity Interactions in the U.S. Under Alternative Decarbonized Futures

Conference ·
OSTI ID:2204388

The U.S. electric sector is rapidly evolving, with widespread renewable energy deployment, building and transport electrification, and nuanced decarbonization policies. Climate change influences the supply and demand for electricity by altering water resources for cooling and hydropower, thermal plant efficiencies, and heating and cooling demand. This research combines global climate model data, asset-level water and streamflow modeling, and electric sector capacity expansion modeling to study climate-water-electricity interactions across myriad future climate and electricity scenarios that consider electrification and decarbonization using renewable, hydrogen, carbon capture, and nuclear technologies. Multi-model integration leads to insights into power-water sector interactions and their impacts on grid economics and environmental outcomes.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Grid Deployment Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
2204388
Report Number(s):
NREL/PR-6A40-87728; MainId:88503; UUID:931b1165-a226-4613-8190-6774f10d5959; MainAdminID:70934
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English