Status: Published
Citation: Bistline, Blanford, Mai, Merrick (2021). “Modeling Variable Renewable Energy and Storage in the Power Sector.” Energy Policy 156:112424.
A new article “Modeling Variable Renewable Energy and Storage in the Power Sector” was recently published in the journal Energy Policy. The article provides an overview of best practices and research gaps related to the representations of variable renewables and energy storage in long-term electric sector models. These resources are expected to play large roles in future energy systems, but their unique characteristics require advanced approaches to capture these technologies effectively. This review article highlights how the research frontier has advanced for variable renewables and storage over the past several years; however, there is a gap between commonly used models and state-of-the-art methodologies. Model simplifications influence insights related to electric sector decarbonization and renewables deployment, and improving model representations can enhance such insights for policymakers and other stakeholders, especially given the growing prominence of these models in planning and policy analysis.
Link to Journal Publication: Energy Policy - Journal - Elsevier