There is a newer version of the record available.

Published September 12, 2024 | Version v1
Dataset Open

High-resolution analysis of power plant land requirements for GODEEEP

  • 1. ROR icon Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Description

This dataset contains data associated with Mongird et al. (in prep). Files include output from the following three analyses found in the paper: (1) Projected power plant siting intersections with US Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), important farmland, and natural areas; (2) onshore wind and solar photovoltaic capacity factor availability under 27 different siting restriction cases, and (3) output from an analysis that determines how many DACs are projected to see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable power plant development. Each of the files associated with these components are described below. 

For more detailed information please refer to Mongird et al. (in prep), "High-resolution analysis of power plant land requirements for net zero in the Western United States indicates coordinated land use policies will be essential"

Outputs included in this dataset are associated with two different scenarios. ummaries of each of the two scenarios included are provided below. For additional information, see Ou et al. 2023.

Scenario Descriptions

  • business-as-usual:
    • This scenario does not include any long-term federal policies requiring decarbonization.
    • It does include the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives.
    • It assumes that CCS technologies are available.
  • net zero:
    • This scenario includes a clean electricity grid in the U.S. by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.
    • It does include US IRA incentives.
    • It assumes that CCS technologies are available.

Data Descriptions

1. Projected power plant siting intersections

Description

These files identify the intersection of projected power plant locations with three types of land: federall identified disadvantaged communities (DACs), important farmland, and land in close proximity to natural areas.

Scenario Files:

File Name File Description
bau_dac_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state
bau_env_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state
bau_farm_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state
net_zero_dac_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state
net_zero_env_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state
net_zero_farm_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state

 

Data Dictionary:

Column Description Units
state Name of US state N/A
technology Power plant technology type inclusive of turbine type, presence of CCS, and cooling type (as applicable) N/A
technology_simple Power plant technology type excluding turbine type, presence of CCS, and cooling type (as applicable) N/A
layer_name Descriptive name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis N/A
layer Name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis N/A
total_plants Number of projected power plants of specified technology in specified state under given scenario #
intersection Number of projected power plant intersections of specified technology in specified state with given layer under given scenario  #
fraction ratio of intersection and total_plants fraction

 

Scenario Difference Analysis Files:

diff_dac_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.
diff_env_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.
diff_farm_analysis_2050.csv Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.

 

Data Dictionary:

Column Description Units
state Name of US state N/A
technology Power plant technology type N/A
layer Name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis N/A
net_zero Number of projected power plant intersections with given layer under the net zero scenario #
bau Number of projected power plant intersections with given layer under the business-as-usual scenario #
intersection Difference in projected power plant intersections between the net zero scenario and the business-as-usual scenario #

 

2. Projected onshore wind and solar photovoltaic capacity factor availability under 27 siting restriction cases

Description:

This file contains results from an analysis on the capability of reaching net zero solar and wind generation goals in 2050 under 27 different siting restriction cases.

Relevant File:

File Name File Description
capacity_factor_analysis_2050.csv Amount of solar PV or onshore wind generation projected to be available in a given state under a specified siting restriction case 

Data Dictionary:

Column Description Units
region_name Name of US state N/A
technology Power plant technology type (either solar PV or Wind) N/A
power_density_mw Assumed MW per square-km MW
case Name of siting exclusion case N/A
total_generation_mwh Projected total generation available given remaining available land after exclusions MWh
target_generation_mwh Projected target annual generation in 2050 for technology type under net zero scenario MWh
gcam_trading_region Name of zonal representation of electricity trading regions as defined in the capacity expansion model N/A

 

3.  US DACs that see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable power plant development by 2050

Description:

This data contains US census tract GEOIDs that see both new renewable sitings and the retirement of fossil generating resources.

Relevant File:

File Name File Description
dac_fossil_retire_analysis_2050.csv List of US census tracts that see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable generation siting by 2050 

Data Dictionary:

Column Description
 census_tract  US census tract GEOID
state_name Name of US state
county_name Name of US county
scenario scenario name

 

Funding statement

This research was supported by the Grid Operations, Decarbonization, Environmental and Energy Equity Platform (GODEEEP) Investment, under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Battelle Memorial Institute under Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830.

Files

bau_dac_analysis_2050.csv

Files (759.4 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:cc8dd8a6336a1616cb624c774a27add7
106.1 kB Preview Download
md5:04e0f9cee430b17dabd55a17d4e9665d
41.1 kB Preview Download
md5:73f26fb458abaeb2be65c19802b28f9d
67.3 kB Preview Download
md5:3f1a59cb800a7ea8cb8dcfbd32a57133
125.6 kB Preview Download
md5:d741cdda8f487a3bf771f015b137cc51
6.0 kB Preview Download
md5:8a3ce56478a52c6fbbb580eeddb7132b
93.3 kB Preview Download
md5:d1c424fa4ac1c6b2f3d5102511e3e204
32.1 kB Preview Download
md5:959f429c806377ed52efff7b8b5b0afa
54.2 kB Preview Download
md5:65b1d6784c8a21421edfcf4b42874d32
115.7 kB Preview Download
md5:3f40ceec8ceee88568661715bf873bc5
44.8 kB Preview Download
md5:f329d74748fd64c356e1338e696fbfca
73.3 kB Preview Download