High-resolution analysis of power plant land requirements for GODEEEP

This dataset contains data associated with Mongird et al. (in prep). Files include output from the following three analyses found in the paper: (1) Projected power plant siting intersections with US Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), important farmland, and natural areas; (2) onshore wind and solar photovoltaic capacity factor availability under 27 different siting restriction cases, and (3) output from an analysis that determines how many DACs are projected to see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable power plant development. Each of the files associated with these components are described below. 

For more detailed information please refer to Mongird et al. (in prep), "High-resolution analysis of power plant land requirements for net zero in the Western United States indicates coordinated land use policies will be essential"

Outputs included in this dataset are associated with two different scenarios. ummaries of each of the two scenarios included are provided below. For additional information, see Ou et al. 2023.

Scenario Descriptions

business-as-usual:

This scenario does not include any long-term federal policies requiring decarbonization.

It does include the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives.

It assumes that CCS technologies are available.

net zero:

This scenario includes a clean electricity grid in the U.S. by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.

It does include US IRA incentives.

It assumes that CCS technologies are available.

Data Descriptions

1. Projected power plant siting intersections

Description

These files identify the intersection of projected power plant locations with three types of land: federall identified disadvantaged communities (DACs), important farmland, and land in close proximity to natural areas.

Scenario Files:

File Name
File Description

bau_dac_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state

bau_env_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state

bau_farm_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the busines-as-usual scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state

net_zero_dac_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state

net_zero_env_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state

net_zero_farm_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state

Data Dictionary:

Column
Description
Units

state
Name of US state
N/A

technology
Power plant technology type inclusive of turbine type, presence of CCS, and cooling type (as applicable)
N/A

technology_simple
Power plant technology type excluding turbine type, presence of CCS, and cooling type (as applicable)
N/A

layer_name
Descriptive name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis
N/A

layer
Name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis
N/A

total_plants
Number of projected power plants of specified technology in specified state under given scenario
#

intersection
Number of projected power plant intersections of specified technology in specified state with given layer under given scenario 
#

fraction
ratio of intersection and total_plants
fraction

Scenario Difference Analysis Files:

diff_dac_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with federally identified US DACs by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.

diff_env_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with areas within 1 km, 5 km, and 10km of environmental areas by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.

diff_farm_analysis_2050.csv
Results from analysis identifying how many more projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the net zero scenario intersect with important farmland by technology type and Western US state compared to projected power plant sitings through 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Negative results indicate that the business-as-usual scenario had a greater number of intersections.

Data Dictionary:

Column
Description
Units

state
Name of US state
N/A

technology
Power plant technology type
N/A

layer
Name of geospatial raster layer used for intersection analysis
N/A

net_zero
Number of projected power plant intersections with given layer under the net zero scenario
#

bau
Number of projected power plant intersections with given layer under the business-as-usual scenario
#

intersection
Difference in projected power plant intersections between the net zero scenario and the business-as-usual scenario
#

2. Projected onshore wind and solar photovoltaic capacity factor availability under 27 siting restriction cases

Description:

This file contains results from an analysis on the capability of reaching net zero solar and wind generation goals in 2050 under 27 different siting restriction cases.

Relevant File:

File Name
File Description

capacity_factor_analysis_2050.csv
Amount of solar PV or onshore wind generation projected to be available in a given state under a specified siting restriction case 

Data Dictionary:

Column
Description
Units

region_name
Name of US state
N/A

technology
Power plant technology type (either solar PV or Wind)
N/A

power_density_mw
Assumed MW per square-km
MW

case
Name of siting exclusion case
N/A

total_generation_mwh
Projected total generation available given remaining available land after exclusions
MWh

target_generation_mwh
Projected target annual generation in 2050 for technology type under net zero scenario
MWh

gcam_trading_region
Name of zonal representation of electricity trading regions as defined in the capacity expansion model
N/A

3.  US DACs that see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable power plant development by 2050

Description:

This data contains US census tract GEOIDs that see both new renewable sitings and the retirement of fossil generating resources.

Relevant File:

File Name
File Description

dac_fossil_retire_analysis_2050.csv
List of US census tracts that see both fossil fuel generation retirement and new renewable generation siting by 2050 

Data Dictionary:

Column
Description

 census_tract
 US census tract GEOID

state_name
Name of US state

county_name
Name of US county

scenario
scenario name

Funding statement

This research was supported by the Grid Operations, Decarbonization, Environmental and Energy Equity Platform (GODEEEP) Investment, under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Battelle Memorial Institute under Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830.