Xinming Andy Zhang, Paul Kinder, Michael Strager, Samuel Taylor, Gabe Schwartzman
{"title":"Distributed energy infrastructure development: geospatial and economic feasibility in rural West Virginia","authors":"Xinming Andy Zhang, Paul Kinder, Michael Strager, Samuel Taylor, Gabe Schwartzman","doi":"10.1007/s10668-024-05363-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Energy transition from conventional centralized power plants, particularly coal-fired units, is critical for West Virginia’s long-term energy and economic future. The socioeconomic challenges faced by West Virginia are closely linked to its reliance on the centralized coal industry and economy, which has declined precipitously in the past decade. Many postindustrial communities in rural areas struggle to sustain economic viability, resulting in documented outmigration and diminished energy resilience. We investigated the possibility of introducing community-sized distributed energy systems in these rural communities to improve energy resilience and support the transition toward more sustainable energy production. This study investigated the feasibility of introducing community-sized distributed energy systems in rural West Virginia to enhance energy resilience and facilitate the transition away from traditional centralized energy. Utilizing a geospatial modeling approach with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) suitability assessment, we identified optimal locations for small-scale distributed wind, solar, and hydropower energy generation. The study conducted a net value comparison analysis, assessing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and levelized avoided cost of energy (LACE) to determine the economic feasibility of each distributed generation type compared to traditional coal-generated electricity. Our findings revealed that wind and solar distributed generation are most suitable in southern and eastern West Virginia counties, while potential sites for small hydropower development are dispersed across the state . This study offers valuable insights into the possible future of distributed energy and its infrastructure development in rural West Virginia, thus contributing to the state’s energy transition and economic revitalization efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":540,"journal":{"name":"Environment, Development and Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environment, Development and Sustainability","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-05363-1","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Energy transition from conventional centralized power plants, particularly coal-fired units, is critical for West Virginia’s long-term energy and economic future. The socioeconomic challenges faced by West Virginia are closely linked to its reliance on the centralized coal industry and economy, which has declined precipitously in the past decade. Many postindustrial communities in rural areas struggle to sustain economic viability, resulting in documented outmigration and diminished energy resilience. We investigated the possibility of introducing community-sized distributed energy systems in these rural communities to improve energy resilience and support the transition toward more sustainable energy production. This study investigated the feasibility of introducing community-sized distributed energy systems in rural West Virginia to enhance energy resilience and facilitate the transition away from traditional centralized energy. Utilizing a geospatial modeling approach with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) suitability assessment, we identified optimal locations for small-scale distributed wind, solar, and hydropower energy generation. The study conducted a net value comparison analysis, assessing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and levelized avoided cost of energy (LACE) to determine the economic feasibility of each distributed generation type compared to traditional coal-generated electricity. Our findings revealed that wind and solar distributed generation are most suitable in southern and eastern West Virginia counties, while potential sites for small hydropower development are dispersed across the state . This study offers valuable insights into the possible future of distributed energy and its infrastructure development in rural West Virginia, thus contributing to the state’s energy transition and economic revitalization efforts.
期刊介绍:
Environment, Development and Sustainability is an international and multidisciplinary journal covering all aspects of the environmental impacts of socio-economic development. It is also concerned with the complex interactions which occur between development and environment, and its purpose is to seek ways and means for achieving sustainability in all human activities aimed at such development. The subject matter of the journal includes the following and related issues:
-mutual interactions among society, development and environment, and their implications for sustainable development
-technical, economic, ethical and philosophical aspects of sustainable development
-global sustainability - the obstacles and ways in which they could be overcome
-local and regional sustainability initiatives, their practical implementation, and relevance for use in a wider context
-development and application of indicators of sustainability
-development, verification, implementation and monitoring of policies for sustainable development
-sustainable use of land, water, energy and biological resources in development
-impacts of agriculture and forestry activities on soil and aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity
-effects of energy use and global climate change on development and sustainability
-impacts of population growth and human activities on food and other essential resources for development
-role of national and international agencies, and of international aid and trade arrangements in sustainable development
-social and cultural contexts of sustainable development
-role of education and public awareness in sustainable development
-role of political and economic instruments in sustainable development
-shortcomings of sustainable development and its alternatives.