Exploring an energy transition: A system dynamics socio-technical model of electricity generation capacity expansion.
Electricity heats, cools, or lights our homes, and powers both vehicles and industrial processes. Fossil fuels are the primary energy source for electricity generation, accounting for 63 percent of U.S.. However, fossil fuel combustion produces air pollution, acid rain, and greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions.
Recognizing the climate change risk of continued fossil fuel consumption, there is a global movement to replace GhG intensive technologies with non-fossil fuel based alternatives. However, renewables face socio-technical challenges to greater adoption in economic, policy, technological, and societal dimensions.
An energy transition is a societal scale replacement of one energy system with an alternative. Transitioning to renewables is a complex, socio-technical process resulting from interdependencies between economics, policy, technology and society. A transition will fundamentally transform how electricity is generated, transmitted, and end-use behavior patterns.
Given electricity system’s complexity, modeling tools have been developed to aid policy makers and investors in making better-informed decisions. Traditional energy, energy-economy, or energy-economy-climate models lack broader socio-technical considerations critical to a successful energy transition. System dynamics (SD) is also used for studying energy systems. However, these models also fail to include elements critical to a broader energy transition perspective.
Recognizing the climate change risk of continued fossil fuel consumption, there is a global movement to replace GhG intensive technologies with non-fossil fuel based alternatives. However, renewables face socio-technical challenges to greater adoption in economic, policy, technological, and societal dimensions.
An energy transition is a societal scale replacement of one energy system with an alternative. Transitioning to renewables is a complex, socio-technical process resulting from interdependencies between economics, policy, technology and society. A transition will fundamentally transform how electricity is generated, transmitted, and end-use behavior patterns.
Given electricity system’s complexity, modeling tools have been developed to aid policy makers and investors in making better-informed decisions. Traditional energy, energy-economy, or energy-economy-climate models lack broader socio-technical considerations critical to a successful energy transition. System dynamics (SD) is also used for studying energy systems. However, these models also fail to include elements critical to a broader energy transition perspective.
Significance:
This research expands energy systems work into energy transitions by including such elements in a system dynamics energy-economy-climate model. This novel approach explores economic, policy, technology and societal interdependencies impact on investment decisions in new electricity generation capacity expansion.
Current Objectives:
Completed Objectives:
Products and Publications:
Contact Us:
For inquiries on this project, contact Lawrence Gottschamer: lgottschamer<at>mail.usf.edu
This research expands energy systems work into energy transitions by including such elements in a system dynamics energy-economy-climate model. This novel approach explores economic, policy, technology and societal interdependencies impact on investment decisions in new electricity generation capacity expansion.
Current Objectives:
- Develop a system dynamics energy-economy-climate model.
Completed Objectives:
- TBA
Products and Publications:
- TBA
Contact Us:
For inquiries on this project, contact Lawrence Gottschamer: lgottschamer<at>mail.usf.edu