Issue 7, 2015

100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States

Abstract

This study presents roadmaps for each of the 50 United States to convert their all-purpose energy systems (for electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industry) to ones powered entirely by wind, water, and sunlight (WWS). The plans contemplate 80–85% of existing energy replaced by 2030 and 100% replaced by 2050. Conversion would reduce each state's end-use power demand by a mean of ∼39.3% with ∼82.4% of this due to the efficiency of electrification and the rest due to end-use energy efficiency improvements. Year 2050 end-use U.S. all-purpose load would be met with ∼30.9% onshore wind, ∼19.1% offshore wind, ∼30.7% utility-scale photovoltaics (PV), ∼7.2% rooftop PV, ∼7.3% concentrated solar power (CSP) with storage, ∼1.25% geothermal power, ∼0.37% wave power, ∼0.14% tidal power, and ∼3.01% hydroelectric power. Based on a parallel grid integration study, an additional 4.4% and 7.2% of power beyond that needed for annual loads would be supplied by CSP with storage and solar thermal for heat, respectively, for peaking and grid stability. Over all 50 states, converting would provide ∼3.9 million 40-year construction jobs and ∼2.0 million 40-year operation jobs for the energy facilities alone, the sum of which would outweigh the ∼3.9 million jobs lost in the conventional energy sector. Converting would also eliminate ∼62 000 (19 000–115 000) U.S. air pollution premature mortalities per year today and ∼46 000 (12 000–104 000) in 2050, avoiding ∼$600 ($85–$2400) bil. per year (2013 dollars) in 2050, equivalent to ∼3.6 (0.5–14.3) percent of the 2014 U.S. gross domestic product. Converting would further eliminate ∼$3.3 (1.9–7.1) tril. per year in 2050 global warming costs to the world due to U.S. emissions. These plans will result in each person in the U.S. in 2050 saving ∼$260 (190–320) per year in energy costs ($2013 dollars) and U.S. health and global climate costs per person decreasing by ∼$1500 (210–6000) per year and ∼$8300 (4700–17 600) per year, respectively. The new footprint over land required will be ∼0.42% of U.S. land. The spacing area between wind turbines, which can be used for multiple purposes, will be ∼1.6% of U.S. land. Thus, 100% conversions are technically and economically feasible with little downside. These roadmaps may therefore reduce social and political barriers to implementing clean-energy policies.

Graphical abstract: 100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Apr 2015
Accepted
27 May 2015
First published
27 May 2015

Energy Environ. Sci., 2015,8, 2093-2117

Author version available

100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States

M. Z. Jacobson, M. A. Delucchi, G. Bazouin, Z. A. F. Bauer, C. C. Heavey, E. Fisher, S. B. Morris, D. J. Y. Piekutowski, T. A. Vencill and T. W. Yeskoo, Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8, 2093 DOI: 10.1039/C5EE01283J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements