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Project Title:
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US-China Cooperation on Electricity from Renewables
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PIN:
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NAEP-R-08-01-A
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Major Unit:
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National Academy of Engineering
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Sub Unit:
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Science & Technology for Sustainability Program
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RSO:
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Vollmer, Derek
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Subject/Focus Area:
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Energy and Energy Conservation; Environment and Environmental Studies; International Issues
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Project Scope
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The U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with CAS and CAE, will conduct a joint study to assist their countries in developing strategies to meet renewable energy goals, to highlight prospects for technology transfer between countries, and to identify areas ripe for future cooperation. This study is intended to aid the national governments, their relevant agencies/ministries, and private industries in assigning priorities for substantial and meaningful cooperation in developing and utilizing electricity from renewable energy. The study will pursue three separate but related goals:
" • Comparatively assessing resource potential in China and the U.S. for grid-scale electricity generation;
• Exploring near-term market opportunities for mature technologies, and;
• Recommending priorities for enhanced collaboration, with a focus on cost reduction, improved efficiency and grid connectivity, and storage
By focusing on grid-scale electricity generation, the study will give special attention to three major resources: wind, solar, and biomass. It will also consider technologies with longer time horizons, such as enhanced geothermal and tidal power. It will build on the current AEF study, which is assessing the technology risks and tradeoffs for various energy technologies. Much of this technological information will be applicable and adaptable to China, and so an understanding of the geographic, technical, and economic constraints will provide the context for Chinese decisionmakers to develop appropriate strategies to sustainably meet their energy needs. In some areas, notably biomass utilization, China is among the world leaders, and certain technologies may be applicable in a developed country context as well. Similarly, China's manufacturing prowess, combined with its growing domestic market, provide opportunities to accelerate progress along the learning curve and reduce costs for renewable energy technologies.
This sort of cooperation raises a number of issues related to trade, intellectual property, and economic competitiveness which this study will acknowledge but not study in depth. While these can present significant challenges, and must be addressed in order to make progress, they are not unique to the field of renewable energy. The committee will incorporate what is known about these issues when conducting its analysis, and will reflect the additional concerns when formulating findings and recommendations. Similarly, the committee will not analyze certain rate-limiting factors (often site-specific) such as environmental constraints or aesthetic concerns, though these too will be described in the report as additional challenges.
This project is sponsored by Google.org, the U.S. Department of State and Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP), the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Engineering.
The approximate start date of this project is October 2008.
A report will be published approximately 18 months from the start of the project.
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Project Duration:
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18 months
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Provide FEEDBACK on this project.
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