Objectives
- Define “multiple benefit local clean energy”
- Conduct valuation of the defined benefits against alternative energy procurement strategies
- Identify opportunities to advance multiple benefit clean energy in CPA’s service territory in an environmentally responsible way and provide recommendations for multifaceted strategy priorities
Summary
There is a growing urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate global climate change. The electric sector accounts for approximately 15% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. Ambitious renewable energy generation targets can help mitigate these effects. Developing clean power locally provides multiple non-market benefits that community choice aggregators (CCAs) are eager to capture but this option costs more than remote utility scale solar and may face barriers to execution. This study aims to define “multiple benefit local clean energy” and “environmentally responsible local clean energy” in order to explore the benefits of distributed energy resources.
Significant benefits exist from increased grid resilience and reductions in pollution. Distributed energy generation and battery storage can increase the security of the grid in emergency events such as public safety power shutoffs (PSPS). During such outages, carbon-intensive diesel fired backup generators may be used to ensure that critical facilities such as hospitals or wastewater treatment facilities can still operate. This backup power generation method can result in detrimental effects on local air quality. Similarly, the use of gas-fired electricity generation units has profound impacts on air quality. While some power plants in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties have retired recently, there is concern that continued high demand may result in them reopening. Integrating renewable energy sources into the electricity grid can displace both diesel generators and gas-fired power plants, allowing for normal power use during emergencies and periods of high demand without contributing to air pollution. This public health aspect of distributed energy resource (DER) development is important in disadvantaged communities (DACs), which face higher pollution burdens than other communities. By implementing distributed energy resources to displace fossil fuel use in electricity generation, the pollution burden on DACs can be reduced.
In addition to the low carbon and pollution reduction benefits of renewable energy generation, projects benefit from low impact siting both economically and ecologically. Low impact siting considers biodiversity metrics, permitting costs, and open space availability in location criteria with the goal of limiting local environmental damage. Brownfields present a high potential for low impact redevelopment and may also reap the benefits of workforce development in disadvantaged communities where they are typically located.
This analysis will assess the technical and economic feasibility of displacing gas-fired electricity generation with local clean energy resources. Assessment of DER development will include:
Significant benefits exist from increased grid resilience and reductions in pollution. Distributed energy generation and battery storage can increase the security of the grid in emergency events such as public safety power shutoffs (PSPS). During such outages, carbon-intensive diesel fired backup generators may be used to ensure that critical facilities such as hospitals or wastewater treatment facilities can still operate. This backup power generation method can result in detrimental effects on local air quality. Similarly, the use of gas-fired electricity generation units has profound impacts on air quality. While some power plants in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties have retired recently, there is concern that continued high demand may result in them reopening. Integrating renewable energy sources into the electricity grid can displace both diesel generators and gas-fired power plants, allowing for normal power use during emergencies and periods of high demand without contributing to air pollution. This public health aspect of distributed energy resource (DER) development is important in disadvantaged communities (DACs), which face higher pollution burdens than other communities. By implementing distributed energy resources to displace fossil fuel use in electricity generation, the pollution burden on DACs can be reduced.
In addition to the low carbon and pollution reduction benefits of renewable energy generation, projects benefit from low impact siting both economically and ecologically. Low impact siting considers biodiversity metrics, permitting costs, and open space availability in location criteria with the goal of limiting local environmental damage. Brownfields present a high potential for low impact redevelopment and may also reap the benefits of workforce development in disadvantaged communities where they are typically located.
This analysis will assess the technical and economic feasibility of displacing gas-fired electricity generation with local clean energy resources. Assessment of DER development will include:
- Economic analysis of utility-scale vs. local distributed solar projects
- Map of opportunities for multiple-benefit, environmentally responsible local clean energy
- Report explaining the barriers to DER in LA and Ventura County
- Quantify the magnitude of health benefits derived from improved air quality
- Quantify the economic value associated with multiple benefits