Conference Recap: State-Level Pathways to Zero-Emissions Electric Grids
A growing number of states have embraced zero-emissions electricity as a core component of their economy-wide decarbonization strategy. On November 6, the Institute for Policy Integrity hosted a conference on state-level pathways to achieving those goals. Over the course of three sessions — two panels and a keynote — conference participants examined the technical, economic, and equity issues that arise in connection with state efforts in this area.
The first panel, titled Zero-Emissions Electric Grids, featured a technical discussion of what technologies and practices make a non-emitting electric system possible, and the near- and long-term policies that states must adopt to foster their development. The panel was comprised of Dr. Paul Donohoo-Vallett of the U.S. Department of Energy, Schuyler Matteson of the New York Department of Public Service (NYDPS), Dr. Sanem Sergici of the Brattle Group, Veronique Oonem of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Rachel Fakhry of Natural Resources Defense Council, and Policy Integrity’s Federal Energy Policy Director.
Dr. Donohoo-Vallette opened with a discussion of the very large amount of new non-emitting generation and storage that will be needed at a national level to achieve these goals — essentially a doubling or tripling of the overall grid — and described ten steps that the Department of Energy has identified to make this possible. Next Schuyler Matteson described NYDPS’s approach to the challenge, including the coordinating grid planning process currently underway. He also described why current types of non-emitting resources would be expected to result in a very large capacity shortfall for a very small number of hours (or days) per year, and noted the need for new types of resources to fill that gap. Dr. Sergici followed up with a presentation focusing on customer-driven actions — from energy efficiency and beyond-the-meter assets to load flexibility enabled by smart thermostats and time-variant rates — as an essential complement to greening the grid. Veronique Oomen focused on New Jersey’s work in this area, including a substantial and growing renewable energy portfolio, grid modernization, a storage program, and the state’s broader perspective on clean energy — including the nuclear generation that currently provides 40% of electricity in New Jersey. Finally, Rachel Fakhry spoke primarily about the “last 10%” — the small portion of future electricity demand that cannot be expected to be met by existing types of renewable generation and storage. Specifically, she described the particular case of hydrogen as an electric resource, and focused on the guardrails that would be required for hydrogen to in fact cause zero emissions. After the presentations, Jennifer Danis, Policy Integrity’s Federal Energy Policy Director, led a discussion with the panelists.
Next came a keynote address by New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) Chair Rory Christian, followed by a Q&A moderated by Policy Integrity’s State Policy Director, Elizabeth B. Stein. Chair Christian anchored his remarks in a reflection on how humanity has always been heavily reliant on fire, and what that reliance means for the move away from a combustion-based energy system. Chair Christian also spoke of the Public Service Commission’s obligation to do what it can to achieve the greenhouse gas goals set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), highlighting the NYPSC’s multi-pronged approach and the peculiar challenges arising from New York’s “two grids,” the upstate and downstate grids that have significantly different environmental attributes and access to resources. He also revisited the early panel’s observations about the extent of the buildout that is needed and the gap between what today’s renewable technologies are capable of and what the future system needs to be able to do. He referred to additional resources, such as hydrogen and renewable natural gas, and the guardrails they would require.
The day closed out with a panel on Equity in the Transition to Zero-Emissions Electric Grids. This panel addressed the need for disadvantaged communities and low-income customers to benefit from — and not be harmed by — the transition from highly polluting generation to clean generation. Panelists explored options for improving community participation and equitable outcomes. This panel included NYDPS’s Christopher Coll, Sergio Dueñas of Strategen Consulting, Eric Walker of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Eleanor Stein of Albany Law School (formerly an Administrative Law Judge at NYDPS).
Christopher Coll opened with a description of what New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires in terms of equity. Next, Sergio Dueñas stressed the importance of inclusive processes where affected people are in the room and armed with significant technical knowledge. He described how Strategen has worked with PEAK Coalition, a group dedicated to ending the pollution burden from power plants on New York City’s most climate-vulnerable people, on how clean energy could be substituted for peaker plants that often generate significant pollution in disadvantaged communities. Eric Walker described his perspective as a community representative who is not a technical expert and the ability of a community representative to achieve some level of proficiency by being provocative and curious. Eleanor Stein rounded out the opening remarks with a discussion of affordability, stressing the cost of inaction and delay, the critical importance of the next five years, and the need to move away from fossil fuels. She highlighted the need for a coordinated, government-led initiative, akin to the Rural Electrification Administration, to ensure rapid transformation that does not unjustly burden ratepayers, especially low- and moderate-income customers. After panelists’ introductory remarks, moderator Al Huang, Policy Integrity’s Environmental Justice Director, led a discussion.
The discussions that took place over the course of the day shed useful light on the nature and magnitude of the technical, economic, and societal challenges that state regulators will need to grapple with as they strive to eliminate electric-sector emissions. They also highlighted opportunities for public and community participation in this aspect of the energy transition and provided helpful insight to regulators who face difficult decisions about the near-term and long-term evolution of the energy systems over which they have jurisdiction.
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To view a recording of any panel, click on the panel title above.
