DESIGN AND RESTORE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS THOUGH INNOVATION
Peggy's Blog
Carbon Neutrality in the City
When will cities reach carbon neutrality, which is the action of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as much as is put into it? The year many companies and cities are targeting is 2030, making this the decade of sustainability. Let’s take a look.
One example is SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District), which is using zero-carbon technologies to reach its goal of zero-carbon emissions in its electricity supply by 2030.
Here’s how it is going to do it. A recent analysis by decarbonization company Black & Veatch assessed a range of zero-carbon generation projects for the utility. The 2030 Zero Carbon Plan was completed to inform customers and stakeholders of how the utility will reach the target.
The study analyzed the full range of zero-carbon technologies currently available to determine the metrics for potential procurement. The report also evaluated the cost-effectiveness and performance characteristics for each technology; assessed its technical and economic feasibility; estimated the LCOEs (levelized cost of energy); evaluated issues and challenges for the development of each project; and identified and determined the necessary input required for production cost models and scenario analysis.
The zero-carbon technologies suggested include biomass and biogas; carbon sequestration and storage; geothermal energy; long-duration energy storage; onshore and offshore wind; renewable hydrogen and solar PV that will accelerate the energy transition for SMUD’s more than 1.5 million customers. All the studied technologies are expected to be commercially available for use by 2030.
Here are some key takeaways: solar and onshore wind are the lowest cost of energy options on a levelized basis. Also, due to anticipated advancement in technology, long-duration energy storage—which is defined as 48 hours to 168 hours of storage—becomes significantly more economical near the end of the study period. The same can be said for hydrogen.
While this is one example, it seems 2030 is the target for many to reach carbon neutrality. Will we reach that goal? Time will tell—but detailed analysis of the technologies in the market is a step in the right direction.
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