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CURRENT AND FUTURE LEVELIZED COST OF PRODUCING GREEN HYDROGEN IN THE UNITED STATES
Get PDFRenewable derived hydrogen has the potential to act as a lever to decarbonize hard to abate sectors and support the energy transition in the U.S. However, the current cost of producing green hydrogen is more expensive than fossil-based hydrogen. This study will calculate the regional current and future levelized cost of green hydrogen produced in the United States. This study finds that although the unsubsidized levelized cost of producing green hydrogen is still too expensive today, there is meaningful regional variation. Areas with strong wind and solar resources (e.g. Texas) can produce hydrogen at a lower levelized cost, while regions with poor wind and solar resources (e.g. Washington) remain uncompetitive. Additionally, this study shows that oversizing renewable generators, thus increasing electrolyzer utilization, and economies of scale based on multi-gigawatt electrolyzer production positively impact capital costs. The U.S. federal government has also taken steps to support the clean hydrogen industry through the introduction of the 45V Production Tax Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act, and this study shows that the subsidy can significantly reduce the cost of producing hydrogen in qualifying projects. Over time, innovation and significant reductions in electrolyzer capital costs are expected to drive down the levelized cost of producing green hydrogen in regions with strong renewable energy sources, making it competitive with fossil-based hydroge
DYNAMIC LINE RATINGS: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION
Get PDFDynamic line ratings (DLR) are being considered as a solution to address the needed capacity on the U.S. electric grid and alleviate congestion while maintaining reliability. DLR methodologies are considered to be “more accurate and therefore more reliable” and result in “just and reasonable rates” to consumers. The variables impacting transmission line ratings calculations become more complex as calculations move from steady-state (static) assumptions to transient (dynamic) conditions. This adds additional complexity to both ambient adjusted ratings (AAR) and DLR implementation as electric conductor current, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, and cloud cover are constantly changing with respect to the transmission line. Industry Case Studies provide some general information about the benefits of implementing a DLR program, however, focus is placed on the positive outcomes of increased capacity and reduced congestion costs. There is not enough information presented on the challenges of implementation, nor is there enough representation in the lines and pilots selected to be able to encourage industry-wide adoption of DLR methodologies. Recommendations are provided for further study and reporting
POLICY PROPOSAL TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON FOREIGN-BORN SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN THE UNITED STATES
Get PDFThe United States is becoming more reliant on foreign-born workforces, which poses threats to the national economy and security. This memorandum proposes the ‘American Scientists and Engineers Fellowship’ (ASEF) program to provide financial support to graduate students from minority groups. The grant program is expected to lower the reliance on foreign-born scientists and engineers by 0.3 percentage points in 2035 compared to the trend line. This memorandum analyzes advantages and disadvantages from policy perspectives (effectiveness, equity, efficiency, administrative capacity) and political perspectives (public opinions, interest groups, political landscapes), concluding that the proposal is effective while risks could be mitigated. Therefore, the president-elect should launch the program as a presidential initiative
Quantitative Validation of Hypervelocity Impact Simulations Using Experimental Image Data
Get PDFModeling and simulation of hypervelocity impacts (HVI) on protective shielding has enabled rapid development and evaluation of new and advanced designs leading to more resilient satellites and spacecraft. However, convergence analyses and validations are challenging due to the destructive and extremely fast nature of these types of impacts. This research proposes a novel and robustly quantifiable means of comparing HVI debris clouds between smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) simulations and image based experimental measurements as a means of providing a standardized, comprehensive, and quantitative measure of similarity which can be used to validate simulations against experimental results and measure model convergence with increasingly refined particle sizes. The proposed method is demonstrated to quantify model convergence, display sensitivity to deviations in model conditions, and generalizes well across a range of impact parameters
China Studies Review, Issue no. 9 (2023)
No full textChina Studies Review was published, the perils of trying to predict China policy have once again become all too clear. Only through analysis grounded in empirical observation rather than speculation can a more comprehensive, nuanced understanding of China and its role in the international community be gained. This is precisely the analysis that the authors of the ninth volume of the China Studies Review seek to provide. The Review begins with Yunyi Huang’s insightful analysis of China’s contradictory foreign and domestic coal policies through the lens of Chinese political economy. Next, Hiromitsu Higashi examines signals from the Chinese central government to assess how the legal status of China’s “Great Firewall” has evolved since 2018. Turning to China’s role as an international actor, Max Rappoport delves into China’s evolving engagement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the context of major regional developments since 2018. Next, Matthew Bernard reveals the strategic ambitions underlying China’s efforts to develop a world-class fleet of aircraft carriers and identifies the sensitive maritime zones where these carriers are likely to conduct regular operations. Examining China’s current and future role in clean energy supply chains, Nicholas Munves uses the framework of comparative advantage to argue that China and the United States are likely to play complementary roles in the supply chains of critical minerals mined from the ocean’s depths. The ninth volume concludes with Jake Grover’s quantitative analysis of China’s motivations for its allocation of foreign assistance
ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO INFORM WASHINGTON STATE’S OIL REFINERIES ON CAP-AND-INVEST
Get PDFIn order to reach their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, the State of Washington passed the Climate Commitment Act, which took effect in 2023. The Cap-and-Invest program rising from the Climate Commitment Act has placed increased regulatory requirements and financial burden on the oil refining sector in Washington State. The high costs and cost uncertainties refiners face from the Climate Commitment Act, and other climate related laws, as well as impacts from the geographical nearness of California’s carbon market, have led to an uncertain future for the state’s refineries. The following analysis outlines the challenges refineries are now confronted with, including the cost uncertainties associated with allowance auctions, the future of cost-free allowances, the impacts of carbon market fragmentation, and the additional financial burden of compliance with the Clean Fuel Standard. It then offers policy and business solutions such as linking Washington’s program with California and Quebec’s carbon market, and encourages refiners to make decarbonization a priority. The offered recommendations could allow oil refineries to remain financially viable long enough to support the energy transition, and be phased out slowly rather than shutting down prematurely, thereby avoiding carbon leakage
Current Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Valuation and Compensation Challenges in California
Get PDFThis study reviews the valuation and compensation of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) within the existing market structures and regulations of the State of California in order to determine whether they are supportive of the deployment of LDES in the wake of the various incentives included for LDES in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). After conducting a literature review of 74 sources, this study finds that while California has been proactive in considering the need and utility of LDES, both the existing market structures and regulations within the State inadequately value and compensate the unique services LDES provide, and consequently, do not sufficiently support their deployment. The ultimate value and goal of this paper is the combination of knowledge and perspectives of the LDES industry, state and federal government, and the academic community to shine light on a new and evolving challenge with the hope of spurring additional research and action to ensure the full potential of the incentives under the IIJA and IRA are realized
Defending the Establishment: Identifying the Forces that Undermine America’s Political Organizations
No full textAcademic analysis of the 2016 United States presidential election often credits political polarization for Donald Trump’s victory. But scholars have dedicated less attention to the electorate’s widespread and growing distrust of the nation’s political institutions. Trump both capitalized on and contributed to Americans’ skepticism of longstanding establishment institutions, including the media, political parties, and administrative agencies. In the same year, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) nearly won the Democratic presidential primary by calling for a political revolution.
In the leadup to the election, the term “fake news” gained widespread popularity. Many modern voters consider political parties corrupt organizations that prevent government from operating efficiently. Millions of Americans came to believe a “deep state” of bureaucrats covertly control government. These ideas did not suddenly arise in 2016. They developed through decades of technological, social, and political changes that created an environment hostile to insiders.
The United States remains one of the most stable, secure, and prosperous nations in the world. Americans should exercise caution before undermining the peripheral establishment institutions that organically developed to help build, stabilize, and structure the national purpose. This thesis considers why government distrust gained momentum over the last fifty years and how it impacts society. Anti-establishment rhetoric frequently goes unchallenged. This thesis defends the establishment
UNDERSTANDING SIZE DEPENDENCE OF COLLOIDAL DEPOSITION IN THE PRESENCE OF A POLYMER-SURFACTANT COMPLEX
No full textMicrocapsules as delivery systems are commonplace across many consumer goods. Accordingly, specific engineering or design and manipulation of microcapsule properties is a research area of great interest. In this paper, research was conducted to understand size dependence of colloidal deposition, specifically within a model shampoo system that includes the presence of a polymer-surfactant complex. If larger capsules can deposit for more extended periods, more fragrance from the shampoo will last longer in a user’s hair instead of being rinsed down the drain with dirt and oil. The fragrance capsules (represented by silica particles and biodegradable capsules) in this research were aided in their deposition by a cationic polymer (acrylamide-acrylamidopropyltrimonium copolymer or SC60) safe to use in personal care products. At the same time, the cleaning detergent in the solution is sodium lauryl ether sulfate which is conventional in today’s cosmetics. A flow cell experimental method was used to represent a typical shampoo system, including a tap water rinse to dislodge the adhered particles. Each particle deposition, detachment, and redeposition was tracked using confocal microscopy to provide contrast between the particle and substrate. Experimental results show that the SC60 increased the adhesive force on the larger silica particles (10 and 20 um) over the smaller (5 um) particles and biodegradable capsules during the flow process; subsequently, the fragrance mass deposited was also significant. Typically, smaller particles are more difficult to detach or remove than the larger particles due to hydrodynamics, but in this case, the polymer was able to deposit the larger particles longer
A NOVEL PIPELINE FOR LIBRARY DESIGN AND DECONVOLUTION OF GENUS-WIDE VIRAL EPITOPE REACTIVITY PROFILING
No full textPhIP-Seq(Phage ImmunPrecipitation Sequencing) is a powerful tool to analyze antibodies against the VirScan library composed of human viral peptides. However, the current VirScan library constructed with Pepsyn only includes peptide tiles from representative sequences with individual sequence coordinate systems. Thus, the library loses diversity and the comparability of the related virus. Our new pipeline builds a high-resolution library by including all reported virus sequences and enables the comparison of equivalent peptides across relevant viruses by applying a genus-wide consensus multiple sequence alignment (MSA) coordinate system. In this study, we created an Enterovirus Library using our new pipeline by capturing seven species with 275 strains. The library contains 191,846 peptides representing more than 4,000 enterovirus and rhinovirus sequences. Using our high-resolution EnteroScan library, we will reveal the epitopes most highly associated with type 1 diabetes. We anticipate replacing the current VirScan library with this new pipeline to retain diversity and ensure the deconvolution of genus-wide viral epitope reactivity of highly related viruses