Organizational Unit:
Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPICenter)

Permanent Link
https://hdl.handle.net/1853/72564
Research Organization Registry ID
Description
Previous Names
Parent Organization
Parent Organization
Organizational Unit
Includes Organization(s)
ArchiveSpace Name Record

Filters

2020 - 2022 3
3
1 1 1
3
3
Reset filters

Settings
Author: Simmons, Richard A. ×

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage in the Southeastern U.S.: Cost Competitive?
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-11-05) Simmons, Richard A. ; Murphy, Sharon
    Achieving net zero carbon emissions will require a combination of renewable energy technologies and carbon capture. Indeed, a great deal of investment has been devoted to the source side of the ledger, such as replacing fossil fuels with renewables, making combustion processes more efficient, and leveraging nuclear energy. Considerably less funding has flowed toward solving the problem of accumulating emissions in the atmosphere, for instance by capturing carbon at the point of electricity generation, or extracting carbon prior to combustion. Nonetheless, a variety of studies have shown that the lowest societal cost means of achieving net zero emissions, as well as ensuring a resilient grid, must include carbon capture. This whitepaper discusses the role of the southeast in this broader nation carbon capture landscape, particularly focusing on the question “What will be the role of Southeast region in this broader national carbon capture effort in the United States?”
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Valuation of US Infrastructure Assets Related to Liquid Hydrocarbons and Transportation: With implications on the decarbonization of mobility and the grid as of Sept 2019
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2021-09) Simmons, Richard A. ; Metz, Keri
    In this brief report, we summarize existing asset values and investments for U.S. infrastructure related to liquid hydrocarbon transportation systems. This includes primarily assets in the hydrocarbon fuel supply chain as well as the engines and equipment that consume hydrocarbon fuels. The motivation prompting this effort is generally stated as a desire to better understand near-, medium-, and long-term pathways to decarbonize transportation. As such, this particular effort was a part of a broader scoping effort in which researchers with Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute sought to compare the economic viability of renewable hydrocarbons as a substitute for petroleum-derived fuels. This includes both biofuels and synthetically produced alternative fuels. Doing so is believed to help facilitate a more direct and holistic comparison of renewable fuels with other forms of sustainable transportation, such as electric vehicles (EVs). In short, the US hydrocarbon (HC) sector, broadly defined, comprises a large investment, upwards of 8.4 trillion dollars, out of a total U.S. infrastructure investment of about $37 trillion . Our HC infrastructure estimate excludes the parts of the transportation system that could be used with other vehicle propulsion systems, such as roads, but includes the petroleum refining industry, as well as publicly and privately owned vehicles in the U.S. fleet that rely on internal combustion engines. So called “upstream” or “supply side assets” are defined to liquid hydrocarbon support infrastructure (e.g., refineries, pipelines, storage assets). These account for about 40% of the total. So called “downstream” or fuel consuming devices are defined to include engines and the broad category of equipment that uses them. This segment account for the remaining 60% of HC sector assets. Separately, initial estimates suggest that the replacement value of the U.S. electric grid is about 4.8 trillion dollars.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Leveraging Energy Data for the Benefit of Society and Consumers
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020-10) Farhat, Karim ; Mueller, Milton L. ; Schaub, Matt ; Simmons, Richard A. ; Murphy, Sharon
    Industrial data (ID) has the potential to play a key role in finding efficiencies in energy markets and thus lower rates for consumers. The realm of industrial data within the energy sector encompasses a broad ecosystem involving many stakeholders. This policy brief is intended to focus specifically on implications for Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), energy service and technology providers including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), policymakers, and researchers, as well as interactions among them. Within this construct, we find that: • IOUs could better leverage data analytics to utilize capital, natural resources, and public infrastructure more efficiently; • ID could lead to better alignment of incentives between utilities and policy/regulation; • Methods to facilitate market entry for local third-party energy service providers should be explored to benefit the regional economy and to avoid ceding leadership to foreign or out-of-state competition; • More collaboration within the standards space and during the standards deliberation process is warranted (in particular between OEMs and energy providers); • ID and energy stakeholders have an obligation and opportunity to improve regulations for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) with future implications on grid cybersecurity; • Coordination and R&D among utilities, policymakers and research institutions can enhance and accelerate knowledge diffusion and beneficial outcomes for owners, consumers, and the environment.