Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations.

Estimates of the land area occupied by wind energy differ by orders of magnitude due to data scarcity and inconsistent methodology. We developed a method that combines machine learning-based imagery analysis and geographic information systems and examined the land area of 318 wind farms (15,871 turbines) in the U.S.

Gaussian Process Regression as a Replicable, Streamlined Approach to Inventory and Uncertainty Analysis in Life Cycle Assessment.

Life cycle assessment plays a critical role in quantifying environmental impacts, but its credibility remains challenged when data and uncertainty analysis are lacking. In this study, we propose a data compilation framework to address these two issues. The framework first quantifies the correlations of production activities among existing data in temporal, geographical, and taxonomic dimensions.

Implications of Generation Efficiencies and Supply Chain Leaks for the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Natural Gas-Fired Electricity in the United States.

Uncertainties in supply chain emissions raise questions about the benefits of natural gas as a bridge fuel, but recent efficiency improvements in gas-fired electricity generation remain overlooked. Our comprehensive analysis of supply chain infrastructure and electricity generation across the United States informs spatially and temporally resolved estimates of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Results show decreasing life cycle emissions over each year examined: 629, 574, and 525 kg CO eq MWh in 2005, 2010, and 2015, respectively.

Grid-Scale Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Implications of Renewable, Storage, and Carbon Pricing Options.

Models that characterize life cycle greenhouse gases from electricity generation are limited in their capability to estimate emissions changes at scales that capture the grid-scale benefits of technologies and policies that enhance renewable systems integration. National assumptions about generation mixes are often applied at annual time steps, neglecting spatiotemporal resolutions that provide insights on impacts from time-variable emissions. Our grid-scale model incorporates details of transmission and generation planning that allows a geographically and temporally textured and more realistic assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions outcomes, using a case study of the Western Interconnection of North America.

Country-Level Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Liquefied Natural Gas Trade for Electricity Generation.

In the determination of the net impact of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle assessments (LCA) of electricity generation have yet to combine the effects of transport distances between exporting and importing countries, country-level infrastructure in importing countries, and the fuel sources displaced in importing countries. To address this, we conduct a LCA of electricity generated from LNG export from British Columbia, Canada with a three-step approach: (1) a review of viable electricity generation markets for LNG, (2) the development of results for greenhouse gas emissions that account for transport to importing nations as well as the infrastructure required for power generation and delivery, and (3) emissions displacement scenarios to test assumptions about what electricity is being displaced in the importing nation. Results show that while the ultimate magnitude of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with natural gas production systems is still unknown, life cycle greenhouse gas emissions depend on country-level infrastructure (specifically, the efficiency of the generation fleet, transmission and distribution losses and LNG ocean transport distances) as well as the assumptions on what is displaced in the domestic electricity generation mix.

Land and water impacts of oil sands production in Alberta.

Expansion of oil sands development results not only in the release of greenhouse gas emissions, but also impacts land and water resources. Though less discussed internationally due to to their inherently local nature, land and water impacts can be severe. Research in key areas is needed to manage oil sands operations effectively; including improved monitoring of ground and surface water quality.

Land use greenhouse gas emissions from conventional oil production and oil sands.

Debates surrounding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land use of biofuels production have created a need to quantify the relative land use GHG intensity of fossil fuels. When contrasting land use GHG intensity of fossil fuel and biofuel production, it is the energy yield that greatly distinguishes the two. Although emissions released from land disturbed by fossil fuels can be comparable or higher than biofuels, the energy yield of oil production is typically 2-3 orders of magnitude higher, (0.