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Electric T&D Future Research Needs: Environmental Drivers. John D. Kueck, P.E. Power Systems Research Oak Ridge National Laboratory Tallahassee, Florida February 1, 2006. Environmental issues associated with siting T&D--- an EIS is required.
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Electric T&D Future Research Needs: Environmental Drivers John D. Kueck, P.E. Power Systems Research Oak Ridge National Laboratory Tallahassee, Florida February 1, 2006
Environmental issues associated with siting T&D--- an EIS is required • The impacts on the physical and biological environment are usually limited to the construction stage • Air emissions during construction cannot be neglected • Impacts on protected areas within the transmission line right-of-way (such as nature reserves, archaeological and cultural sites) must be assessed • Land acquisition or expropriation issues associated with a siting project • An environmental monitoring program may be required and implemented as part of a transmission expansion implementation plan
Several areas of electric T&D research could significantly reduce environmental impacts of siting new transmission • Expanding grid capacity is critical to accessing wind power, solar power, and next-generation nuclear power options that are remote from population centers • Can this be done in an environmentally responsible manner? • Big drivers are permitting and construction • A broad research portfolio is needed to advance high-efficiency distributed energy • Environmental benefits of improved asset utilization, system efficiencies
1) Expanding the grid is critical to accessing windpower, solar power, and nuclear power options that are remote from population centers Source: National Commission on Energy Policy, Ending the Energy Stalemate, 2004 (www.energycommission.org)
Continue to Develop a Next Generation of High-Capacity Conductors High Temp Al-Zr Strands Short-term: Advanced composite conductors & other low-sag conductors Mid-term: Superconducting cables Long-term: Highly conductive high-strength carbon nanowires Aluminum Composite Wire(replace steel core) Advanced conductors have 2- to 3-times the capacity of standard overhead power lines
2) Distributed energy systems could increase power efficiency and thereby reduce emissions Source: Brown, et al., Towards a Climate-Friendly Built Environment, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2005.
A Broad Research Portfolio is Needed to Advance High-Efficiency Distributed Energy Illustrative Research Needs: • Advanced combustion science, including alternative fuels and emissions management • Advanced power electronics including silicon carbide • High-temperature and lightweight materials research • Electrochemistry to develop innovative electric storage devices important to integrating intermittent renewable resources • Computational science and modeling to improve real-time control of distributed energy systems
Summary Research and development is needed to reduce environmental impact of transmission • Develop cost-effective conductor to enable greater power transfer within existing ROW • Even a 20% sag reduction without retowering is worth >20% cost premium when the alternative is uprating • Distributed energy solutions to better asset utilization
