Climate Change Technology Program: An Overview

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Climate Change Technology ProgramAn Overview
David K. Garman Assistant Secretary, U.S.
Department of Energy December 3, 2002
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The Key Challenge

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
  Change (1992)
• Achieve . . . stabilization of GHG
  concentrations in the earths atmosphere at a
  level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
  interference with the climate system

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The Key Challenge

• I reaffirm Americas commitment to the United
  Nations Framework Convention and its central
  goal, to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas
  concentrations at a level that will prevent
  dangerous human interference with the climate.
• (We will) set America on a path to slow the
  growth of our greenhouse gas emissions and, as
  science justifies, to stop and then reverse the
  growth of emissions.

- President George W. Bush February 14, 2002
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Approach
Climate Change Science Program
Climate Change Technology Program

• Reduce Scientific Uncertainty
• Illuminate Risks/Benefits
• Guide and Pace Strategy

• Advance Technology Options
• Improve Performance/Reduce Costs

Interagency Working Group and Cabinet Level
Committee on Climate Change ST Integration
Pursue a Sensible, Integrated Policy
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Approach
Climate Change Science Program
Climate Change Technology Program

• Reduce Scientific Uncertainty
• Illuminate Risks/Benefits
• Guide and Pace Strategy

• Advance Technology Options
• Improve Performance/Reduce Costs

Interagency Working Group and Cabinet Level
Committee on Climate Change ST Integration
Pursue a Sensible, Integrated Policy
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CCTP Membership

• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
• Department of Energy
• Department of the Interior
• Department of State
• Department of Transportation
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of Health and Human Services
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Science Foundation
• Office of Management and Budget
• Office of Science and Technology Policy
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Energy is the Technology Focus

• Any effort to address GHG emissions necessarily
  involves energy

79 of GHG Emissions are Energy-related CO2
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Emissions and Stabilization

• Ultimately, net global GHG emissions must sharply
  decline and even approach zero to achieve
  stabilization

Emissions
Stabilization
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High Degree of Difficulty

• Efforts to achieve near zero global GHG
  emissions will be
• A long-term undertaking
• Expensive compared to current technology
• Technologically challenging
• Politically difficult

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Current Situation (2000)
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Carbon Emitting Sources Dominate

• Carbon-Emitting Energy Sources
• Oil 39
• Natural Gas 24
• Coal 23
• Non-Emitting Sources
• Nuclear 8
• Renewable 7

Not including carbon emissions associated with
component manufacturing, uranium enrichment,
ethanol production, short-term cycles, etc.
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Electricity Mix (2000)

• Electricity from Carbon Emitting Primary Sources
• Coal 1.97 trillion kWh (52)
• Natural Gas 601 million kWh (16)
• Oil 111 million kWh (3)

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Electricity Mix (2000)

• Electricity from Non-Emitting Primary Sources
• Nuclear 754 million kWh (20)
• Hydroelectric 276 million kWh (7)
• Biomass 61 million kWh (1.64)
• Geothermal 14 million kWh (.368)
• Wind and Solar 6 million kWh (.158)

Not including carbon emissions associated with
component manufacturing, uranium enrichment,
short-term cycles, etc.
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Efficiency is a Key Opportunity Area

• United States uses roughly 99 quadrillion BTUs
  (quads) of energy annually, of which
  approximately 58 quads is rejected.

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Efficiency is a Key Opportunity Area
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Efficiency is a Key Opportunity Area

• Significant efficiency improvements are possible,
  but difficult to achieve due to comparatively low
  energy prices
• Average retail electricity prices (all sectors)
  approximately 6.8 cents per kilowatt/hour
• Retail gasoline prices roughly 1.56/gallon

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Key Technology Areas

• Transform Energy Supply
• Advance Energy Efficiency
• Capture and Sequester GHGs
• Measure, Monitor and Verify

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Solar Photovoltaic

• Price of electricity from grid-connected PV
  systems are 20 to 30/kWh
• Down from 2.00/kWh in 1980
• 2020 RD goal is 6/kWh

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Technology Challenges

• Improve PV cell efficiency increase cell life
  lower manufacturing cost
• Optimize cell materials, designs, modules
• Improve understanding of materials, processes,
  and devices for advanced PV options
• Improve performance and lower cost of balance of
  system components (inverters, battery storage)

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Wind Energy

• Current cost is 4-6/kWh in best regimes
• Down from 80/kWh in 1980s)
• 1.7/kWh PTC makes wind competitive
• 2010 RD goal is 3/kWh (unsubsidized) in class 4
  wind areas (present in 37 states)

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Technology Challenges

• Two design pathways
• Stiff, heavy machines that resist cyclic and
  extreme loads
• Lightweight, flexible machines that bend and
  absorb or shed loads
• Seeking 30 year life in fatigue driven
  environment with minimal maintenance and no major
  component replacement

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Technology Challenges

• Improved knowledge of wind inflow, operative
  aerodynamics, and structural dynamics
• Improve fundamental understanding of interactions
  between wind input and among components as
  turbine size increases for higher performance in
  lower wind speed areas
• Understand/mitigate operating system impacts on
  grid to better accommodate intermittent wind
  resource

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Geothermal

• Current capacity is roughly 2,800 MW in US 8,000
  MW worldwide
• Current cost is 5 to 8/kWh
• Down from 15/kWh in 1985
• 2010 goal 3-5 /kWh

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Technology Challenges

• Improve methods of identifying prospective
  reservoirs without drilling
• Improve methods of predicting reservoir
  performance/lifetime
• Lower drilling costs
• Improve heat recovery methods for resource areas
  that are deeper, less permeable, or dryer than
  current commercial quality reserves

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Biomass

• Grid-connected capacity 6,500 MW in 2000 (mostly
  forest products industry CHP)
• Biopower electricity prices generally range from
  8 to 12 /kWh
• Down from 20/kWh in 1980)
• 2010 goal 5.5 /kWh

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Technology Challenges

• Demonstrate/optimize operation of biomass
  gasifier with advanced power generation using
  turbines and/or fuel cells, ideally as part of an
  integrated biorefinery
• Improve crop harvest/residue collection equipment
  and systems

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The Transportation Challenge
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FreedomCAR

• Our long term vision A transportation system
  powered by hydrogen derived from a variety of
  domestic resources.

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Hydrogen from Diverse Domestic Resources
HIGH EFFICIENCY RELIABILITY
Nuclear
Oil
Non-Renewable
ZERO/NEAR ZEROEMISSIONS
Coal
Sequestration
Natural Gas
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FreedomCAR Launch in January

• Secretary Abraham joins with leaders of General
  Motors, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford in announcing
  FreedomCAR at the North American International
  Auto Show in Detroit on January 9, 2002.

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FreedomCARs Freedoms

• Freedom from foreign petroleum dependence
• Freedom from pollutant and carbon dioxide
  emissions
• Freedom for Americans to drive where they want,
  when they want, in the vehicle of their choice
• Freedom to obtain fuel affordably and conveniently

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Strategic Approach

• Develop technologies to enable mass production of
  affordable hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles
  and the hydrogen infrastructure to support them.
• Continue support for other technologies to reduce
  oil consumption and environmental impacts.
• Hybrid electric
• Clean Diesel/Advanced ICE
• Biofuels

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Technology Challenges

• Critical Path technologies with 2010 goals
• Hydrogen Storage (6 wt 1100 W-h/l)
• Hydrogen Production Cost (NG-based 1.50/gge
  untaxed)
• Fuel Cell Cost (45/kW)

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Nuclear Energy

The Evolution of Nuclear Power
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Nuclear Energy
Potential Carbon Avoidance by Nuclear Generation
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Advanced Clean Fossil
Virtually Emission Free Multi-Fuel Plant

• Multiple Fuels
• Coal
• Petroleum Coke
• Biomass
• CO2 sequestered
• Multiple products
• Electricity
• Fuels/Chemicals
• Process Heat

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Active Sequestration
Large Potential Worldwide Storage Capacity
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Technology Challenges

• Lower capture and sequestration costs
• Current costs 100-300/ton of carbon emissions
  avoided
• 2015 Goal 10 or less/ton
• Assess various methods
• Active and depleted oil and gas reservoirs
• Deep brine/saline aquifers
• Deep coal seams/coal bed methane formations

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Sequestration
Enhancing Natural CO2 Sinks
Capture and Storage of CO2
Improved nutrients, better agricultural practices
Advanced
Conversion to minerals, bioconversion, etc.
Terrestrial
Ocean
Geologic
Enhanced photosynthesis in algae ponds,
greenhouses
Injection into oil reservoirs, unusable aquifers,
coal seams
Deepwater injection
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CCTP Process

• Federal RD Portfolio Review
• Working Group Structure
• Energy Production
• Energy Efficiency
• Sequestration
• Other Gases
• Monitoring and Measurement
• Supporting Basic Research
• Competitive Solicitation/RFI seeking new ideas

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CCTP will play its role

• Keys to the stabilization challenge
• Leadership in climate science
• Leadership in climate-related technology
• Better understanding of the potential risks of
  climate change
• Robust set of viable technology options that
  address energy supply and efficiency/productivity
• Integrated understanding of both science and
  technology to chart future courses and actions
• Global approach all nations must participate