Project: Modeling of Cost and Performance of CCS Plants in the Western Interconnect

Research Team: Gary Shu, Howard Herzog and Mort Webster

Sponsor: WESTCARB

Summary:
This research project studies the potential for economic dispatch of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) in the western United States grid and particularly the WESTCARB (West Coast Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership) area.  The analysis will look at the electricity grid and hypothetical CCS coal plants to assess the characteristics of good sites for such plants by seeing whether they will be able to sell their generated energy for delivery to load.  Several scenarios are run with varying fuel prices and carbon dioxide costs.

Publications:
Shu, G., "Economics and Policies for Carbon Capture and Sequestration in the Western United States: A Marginal Cost Analysis of Potential Power Plant Deployment," M.I.T. Masters Thesis, January (2010). <PDF>

Shu, G., M. Webster, and H. J. Herzog. "Scenario analysis of carbon capture and sequestration generation dispatch in the western U.S. electricity system," presented at the 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Technologies, November 16-20 (2008). <PDF>