Evaluating the Emerging Regional Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of U.S. Energy Sectors

McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium (MDEA)

EnE Seminar Series

Evaluating the Emerging Regional Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of U.S. Energy Sectors

 
Presented By: Michael MacKinnon
PhD. Candidate
University of California, Irvine, APEP Program


 

Abstract:

Transitions to alternative technologies and fuels seeking reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from U.S. energy sectors will also alter emissions of pollutants due to common generation processes, directly influencing regional air quality (AQ).  Currently, sectors of importance include transportation and power generation, which combined total over half of domestic GHG emissions and account for the bulk of emissions driving U.S. AQ problems.  Further, emissions from additional sectors could have significance in coming decades, particularly in light of expected economic growth.  Some GHG mitigation strategies will have clear AQ co-benefits in displacing traditional fuels while others could reduce GHGs at the expense of increased atmospheric pollutant levels.  However, most have a range of potential AQ impacts varying in magnitude and controlled by life cycle characteristics, i.e., fuel production pathways, complimentary technologies, conversion methods.  Additionally, the formation and fate of secondary air pollutants is governed by complex, non-linear atmospheric processes.  Thus, an in-depth understanding of spatial and temporal emission perturbations followed by simulations of atmospheric chemistry and transport is require for robust assessment.

The current work evaluates U.S. energy sectors in 2055 to identify and characterize emerging sources with potential to significantly affect AQ and assist in determining preferred strategies that can concurrently reduce GHGs and improve AQ.  Using an emissions processing tool emissions are grown to 2055 and spatially and temporally resolved to reflect the evolution of energy systems for three U.S. regions.  Next, simulations of atmospheric chemistry and transport are conducted via an advanced AQ model to establish fully developed distributions of pollutant concentrations.  We find that significant variation in regional energy profiles, demands, and constraints yield important differences in sector impacts and thus preferred co-benefit strategies.  In all regions emissions from transportation contribute substantially to secondary pollutant levels, particularly technologies utilized for goods movement in regions supporting major shipping ports.  In addition, the use of coal for power generation is found to be an important opportunity for the attainment of co-benefits in select regions.  Finally, the industrial sector is shown to be comparable in importance to power generation and transportation for AQ impacts.             

 
Bio:
I am an Environmental Engineering PhD student in the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP), studying the air quality and greenhouse gas implications of transitions to alternative technologies and fuels in major energy sectors.  I received an M.S. in Environmental Toxicology and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from UCI.  My research involves the use of atmospheric modeling to study the spatial and temporal impacts on primary and secondary pollutant species to elucidate advanced energy strategies with potential for air quality and greenhouse gas co-benefits.