Notes on this data set:
This data set provides inputs for a capacity expansion planning study considering options for a 100% carbon-free electricity system across the U.S. portion of the Western Interconnection (Western Electricity Coordinating Council or WECC).
All inputs are generated by the open source PowerGenome data platform from public data sources. Some PowerGenome output columns are renamed or removed as redundant.
Only carbon-free resources are included in the candidate generation/storage options. Existing renewable energy, hydropower, pumped hydro storage, and nuclear power capacity is included across all states, but carbon-emitting existing resources are not included in the data set. Natural gas plants with CCS at 100% capture rate are included in the new build options by default, but less costly plants with 90% capture rate are also provided as an alternative option (users must switch New_Build flag = 0
There are 6 regions (see accompanying map and time series data provided for 16 representative weeks (with hourly chronological resolution within each week). Each representative period represents 1 or more other weeks throughout the time series. The number of hours represented by each 168 hour 7 day period is given by the Representative_Period_Weight input column in the Inputs_data.csv file. Representative weeks and weights are determined via K-means clustering to minimize error in wind, solar, hydropower and demand time series within each cluster as per Mallapragada et al. (2018), Impact of model resolution on scenario outcomes for electricity sector system expansion, Energy 163 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.015) and always include the peak demand week.
We provide two sets of inputs with different demand levels: a reference electrification case and a high electrification case. Demand profiles are from the NREL 2018 Electrification Futures Study and are based on weather year 2012.
Renewables data profiles are from an open source data set available via PowerGenome under open source license from Vibrant Clean Energy, with 13-km continental United States resolution and are for weather year 2012
Technology costs are from NREL Annual Technology Baseline 2019 edition.
Transmission transfer limits from EPA IPM model.
Data is provided without warranty for accuracy.