NREL studies proposed renewable portfolio standards
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has completed a study comparing three proposed national renewable electricity standards.
The three proposed federal standards are under consideration by committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
A team of senior NREL energy analysts used NREL’s Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS), a detailed least-cost optimisation model capable of simulating the special attributes of variable sources like wind and solar power. ReEDS minimises the system-wide cost of meeting forecasted electric loads, reserve requirements, and emission constraints by building and operating new generators and transmission in 22 two-year increments from 2006 to 2050.
The three proposals were compared against a baseline in which only currently enacted laws are considered. The report was originally commissioned by the Department of Energy.
Lawmakers in at least 28 states and the District of Columbia have established schedules that mandate minimum uses of renewable energy, typically within the next two decades.
NREL report is available at: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/45877.pdf