Equity and Sustainability: A framework for Equitable Energy Transition Analyses

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Decisions regarding transitions from traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels to more sustainable, renewable energy systems impact multiple constituencies, including the most vulnerable members of society. This research addresses two questions: (1) What are transition pathways from non-renewable energy sources (such as fossil fuels) to renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar) for the US electricity sector that can best balance the (sometimes conflicting) objectives of the transition, while accounting for social equity and sustainability? (2) How can transition to a low-carbon electricity system be done in a way that minimizes adverse impacts on the most vulnerable members of society? This research targets creating a new way to account for social equity in the sustainability analysis of transitions to new energy systems, which may help guide decision-makers. There are many decision makers and constituencies in energy system planning, each of which may make decisions or influence decisions according to their own versions of the desired goals. This research builds and expands upon previous research in three key ways that permit a more robust sustainability assessment of future electricity systems, and incorporates social equity into the energy transition discussion. First, an electricity system expansion model is coupled with a system sustainability model and then examined to ask how increasing carbon constraints are likely to impact power system development, and how important regional cooperation is likely to be in achieving a fully decarbonized US electricity system. Second, social equity will be an integral part of the sustainability analysis framework, thus displaying how other facets of sustainability impede or support an equitable energy transition. Third, to illuminate the social equity trade-offs, how regional cooperation may impact job and price equity around the country will be investigated. This research will be a system sustainability analysis for the entire US that incorporates multiple metrics for social equity, while capturing impacts of integrating intermittent renewables in the grid. The PI will develop an open-source data analysis tool for electricity sustainability analysis, enriching the discussion and uncovering the interactions among sustainability criterion at a national scale. The social equity focused framework is targeted to facilitate national discussions about how energy transition will impact communities in the US. This framework may also help support planning for job recovery of those most affected by the retirement of fossil fuel generation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.