Evaluating The Future Of The North American Power Grid

Abstract

This thesis was created to determine the best strategy for future electricity generation in North America. Three scenarios were evaluated: business as usual, high renewables (80%+), and a compromise scenario that reflected a middle-of-the-road strategy. The scenarios were evaluated for required capacity and predicted generation, financial costs, environmental impacts, and social and efficiency implications. While the business as usual scenario was considerably less expensive in terms of direct expenses, once environmental impacts and the resulting financial costs were figured in it was no longer feasible. The compromise scenario was financially much closer to the high renewables scenario but without the same environmental benefits. The optimum scenario was the high renewables scenario, financially, environmentally, and socially. Case studies were evaluated in order to produce suggestions in support of implementing the high renewables scenario for electricity generation in North America.