Aiming towards pollution free future by high penetration of renewable energy sources in electricity generation expansion planning

• Published in: Futures : the journal of policy, planning and futures studies planning and futures studies, 2018-12, Vol.104, p.25-36
• Main Authors: Bhuvanesh, A., Jaya Christa, S.T., Kannan, S., Karuppasamy Pandiyan, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Economic expansion; Economic planning; Electric power demand; Electricity consumption; Electricity generation; Electricity generation expansion planning; Electricity pricing; Energy policy; EnergyPLAN; Environmental impact; Environmental policy; GHG emissions; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Industrial plant emissions; Planning; Pollution; Pollution sources; Power plants; Renewable energy; Renewable energy sources; Software; Tamil Nadu and LEAP
• ISSN: 0016-3287; 1873-6378
• DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2018.07.002

[Display omitted] •Development of a plan for electricity generation expansion, aiming low carbon emission in the future.•First comprehensive attempt for combining LEAP and EnergyPLAN software together for GEP of Tamil Nadu.•Two different scenarios are developed using LEAP, in which the GHG mitigation scenario outperformed Baseline scenario.•Results of GHG mitigation scenario are given as input to EnergyPLAN for monthly and hourly basis planning.•Elevated RES in overall installation capacity results with reduced GHG emission and also assures the reliable power supply. Global climate change is the biggest challenge to decide on the energy and environmental policy. Reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emission would confine hazardous effects of global warming. United Nations Climate Change Conference reported that global GHG emission rate has elevated by an average of 3% annually. In this context, the state of Tamil Nadu in India emits 51.42 Million Tons CO2 equivalent as reported by Tamil Nadu Carbon Footprint study carried out by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The study aims to meliorate astute plan for electricity generation expansion that would create a paragon future with low carbon emission. Combined utilization of Long-Range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) and EnergyPLAN software is done in this paper. Electricity demand, installation capacity and power production with overall cost and total GHG emission are planned till the year 2030 using LEAP. Baseline and GHG mitigation are the modeled scenarios with 2016 as the base year. The GHG mitigation scenario emits lesser GHG than the baseline scenario. The results of LEAP suggest to adopt GHG mitigation scenario and therefore the expansion capacities of power plants planned by this GHG mitigation scenario is given as input to EnergyPLAN software for monthly and hourly basis planning.