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Clark University
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The Smart Grid Vision & Sustainability
Jennie C. Stephens, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy Department of International Development, Community and Environment
A Smarter Grid and a Wiser Community DCU Center, Worcester, MA
April 24, 2013
Transmission lines Beijing China Worcester Green Jobs Coalition Hull Wind Turbine
Mechanisms for University’s to Contribute to Sustainability
Teaching Transdisciplinary courses/degrees teaching skills of integration, synthesis, and systems thinking – how to cope with complex interconnections, service learning
Research Faculty and students conduct research that contributes to confronting
sustainability challenges
Campus as a Model for Society Campus Operations, demonstrating role, the campus as a microcosm of society
Service within the Community Unique anchor /intermediary organizations Ability for long-term thinking, Convening Role
Stephens, JC, et al. (2008). Higher Education as a Change Agent for Sustainability in Different Cultures and Contexts. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 9 (3): 317-338
Increasing CO2 concentrations
World Energy 1850-2000
050
100150200250300350400450500
1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000
Year
EJ/ye
ar
GasOilCoalNuclearHydro +Biomass
Increasing global energy
demand
Climate Change Primarily an Energy Problem: Reliance on fossil-fuel based energy systems
AIM NASA 2012
Holdren, 2006
Why are energy systems difficult to change? Social dynamics of energy technology innovation Socio-technical system change
With graduate students at Hull Wind Turbine
Wind
Marris, 2008
Smart Grid Geothermal
Carbon Neutral, 2013
Health/safety
Cultural Political
Technical Economic
Environmental Energy
Technology Deployment
SPEED (Socio-Political Evaluation of Energy Deployment) A framework to assess the complexity of perspectives influencing energy
technology deployment: How is discourse of technologies framed?
Environmental Communication Research How are emerging energy technologies talked about? What frames? What factors influence perceptions of emerging energy technologies?
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Consumption blackhillsenergy.com
Storage
SMART GRID: A Shared Vision of Electricity System Change
Increasingly used term - incorporates multiple technologies Information Communication Technology (ICT), Renewables, Energy Storage Technology, Sensors Advanced Metering Infrastructure – Smart Meters and more……
Smart Grid A shared vision of change, but different priorities in - What technologies? - How much change ?
Source: FERC, 2012
Smart Grid Research: How does social and political context for Smart Grid compare regionally? What are different priorities and can they be aligned?
METHODS Focus Groups Interviews Media Analysis Policy Analysis
Financial Support: NSF Science, Technology & Society Program NSF-SES1127697 NSF RAPID Grant Science, Technology & Society (NSF-SES 1316442)
How is “Smart Grid” presented in the media?
Nu
mbe
r of
New
spap
er A
rtic
les
A
200
7
200
9
2012
199
8
200
2
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Different Smart Grid Technologies
Technologies Examples Transmission and Distribu/on power lines, transformers, voltage, AC, DC, relays,
capacitors
Smart meter Smart meter, advanced meter
Energy Storage ba>eries, fly wheels
Sensors, informa/on and communica/on technologies sensors, soAware, hardware, SCADA
Renewable genera/on wind, solar, photovoltaic
Electric vehicles Prius, Tessla
Consumer load appliances programmable dishwashers, air-‐condi/oning
Consumer interface tools websites, apps, cellphone
How do different actors perceive and frame Smart Grid? Extensive Focus Group Data Collection
Each focus group 5-8 individuals from the same organization, 32 completed Shaded boxes represent focus groups planned – not yet occurred
Minnesota MISO
Texas ERCOT
Massachusetts ISO-‐NE
Illinois MISO
Vermont ISO-‐NE
New York NYISO
Large Utilities Xcel Oncor National Grid COM-‐EDGreen Mountain Power
New York Power Authority
Municipal/Coop UtilitiesGreat River Energy
Austin Energy, College Station Utilities
Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations
Energy Services Division U of IL
Burlington Electric
Long Island Light & Power
Regional Transmission Organizations MISO ERCOT ISO-‐NE MISO ISO-‐NE New York ISO
State RegulatorsMN State Energy Office
TX Public Utility Commission
MA Dept. of Public Utilities
IL Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
VT Department of Public Service New York State
Consumer/NonprofitGreat Plains Institute
Mass Energy Consumer Alliance
Citizen's Utility Board, Perfect Power Institute
VT Public Interest Research Group
Techies/Academics UM EE StudentsTAMU engineer students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Illinois Institute of Technology U. of VT SUNY
Environmental group
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Conservation Law Foundation
Illinois Sierra Club
VT Energy Investment Corporation
Environmental Defense
Key Actors Priorities & Perspectives
Consumers Reliability, low-rates, limited influence
Government (National, State, Local) Jurisdictionally complex regulation
Private Sector Accountable to shareholders
Electric Utilities Maintaining reliable service, responding to consumers
Technology companies Innovative & entrepreneurial
Environmental advocates Low carbon shift & renewable energy
Energy system researchers Technologically optimistic
Key Actors’ Smart Grid Priorities Linked to Institutional Structures
Tension: Centralization vs. Decentralization
Centralized – Supergrid with Long Distance Transmission
More centralized control, advantages of scale
Desertec
Desertec - Eumena 2012
Decentralized Local Energy Systems
More local control, more community connections, distributed power
Smart Grid Enterprise 2013
Different Perspectives on How Much Change in the Smart Grid Vision
Radical Change
Incremental Change
Technological nirvana potential to solve all
energy related problems
Upgrades, modernization of current system
Improving status quo
Superstorm Sandy – Oct (28-30) 2012
NASA GEOS-13 View, October 28, 2012
Cover page. Bloomberg Businessweek. November 1, 2012.
$65.6 billion – estimated cost of devastation and disruption
• Highlighted vulnerability of energy systems – our increasing reliance on electricity for basic needs: communication, health, food, etc.
• Reintroduced climate change into political discourse of the 2012 Presidential election – previously conspicuously absent
• New awareness about energy infrastructure investments and climate change preparedness
Shift to include climate adaptation as well as climate mitigation
Smart Grid and Sustainability
• Smart Grid an umbrella term – shared vision ▫ Development influenced by different socio-political
contexts ▫ Multiple technologies included in the vision
• Key actors motivated by different priorities ▫ Decentralization vs. centralization ▫ Incremental vs radical change
• Smart Grid has climate adaptation potential as well
as climate mitigation potential ▫ Superstorm Sandy highlighted our vulnerability and
dependence on electricity systems
Acknowledgements
Tarla Rai Peterson Texas A&M
Elizabeth Wilson U of Minnesota
Thanks to many who have
contributed and participated Financial Support NSF Grant Science, Technology and Society
Program (NSF-SES 1127697) NSF RAPID Grant Science, Technology & Society
(NSF-SES 1316442) Logistical Support Pamela Dunkle & Marsh Institute Clark University
Research Collaborators
Research Team
Ria Langheim ES&P MS ‘13
Xiao Chen ES&P MS ‘13
Ryan Collins ES&P MS/MBA ‘15
Will Maxwell Econ/ES&P BA ‘15
Melissa Skubel ES&P BA’13 ES&P MS ‘14 Sophia Ran Wang
ES&P MS ‘13
James Meadowcroft Carleton
Andrea Parker SUNY-ESF
Lauren Zeimmer ES BA’13 ES&P MS ‘14
Landscape for work in sustainability is changing
Conventional rules, norms and relationships among actors may no longer be practical.
Working together among
key actors essential – trying to understand each other’s priorities
Photo courtesy of Didac Ferrar
Publications available upon request Email: [email protected]
Website: http://wordpress.clarku.edu/jstephens/