Browsing by Subject "Southeast"
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Item Open Access A Geospatial Approach to Siting Wind Right in the Southeast(2021-04-29) Feng, Xueying; Li, ShawnWhile installed wind turbine capacity continues to increase in the United States, a noticeable void exists in the Southeast due to a combination of poor wind resources, competing energy sources, and political opposition. As manufacturers develop turbines with a higher hub height to harness faster and smoother wind resources, many, including The Nature Conservancy, anticipate significant wind development in the Southeast. The identification of low environmental impact areas will not only lower the risk of project development but will also enable the identification of priority areas for transmission and distribution infrastructure. To capitalize on the opportunity to site wind right from the beginning, this study uses a GIS-based exclusion category approach to identify areas where installed wind power capacity is least likely to disrupt wildlife and sensitive habitats. The geospatial model creates maps where environmental and technical areas that are unsuitable for wind farms are removed. The model considers a sequence of five categories of land exclusion criteria. The resulting geospatial product suggests that even after removing sizable areas from consideration, there is significant land for wind development to meet the energy and climate needs of the Southeast region.Item Open Access Analysis of Climate Adaptation Strategies for Southeast U.S. Coastal Cities(2008-04-25T01:45:18Z) Reeves, UllaBrittThe realities of climate change are no longer future predictions to address in years to come. Impacts to Southeast coastal communities from rising sea levels, strange weather, and stronger storms caused by a warming planet are occurring today. Trends in scientific measurements clearly indicate that temperatures are rising, sea ice is melting, and storm intensity is increasing. The Southeast coastline is particularly vulnerable to these changes and local communities are the first to feel the impacts and address the needs. Yet many conversations about adaptation to climate change impacts are only occurring at high levels of government concerning international issues. Local decision-makers in the Southeast U.S. need tools to identify strategies that will provide adequate protection to their citizens as well as to manage environmental quality and prepare for any uncertainties. This Master’s project identifies primary and secondary climate change impacts to coastal areas of the Southeast U.S. A preliminary analysis was conducted to identify the societal implications incurred from impacts and the specific sector of society to which those impacts correspond. A resiliency criterion analysis was then created to qualitatively examine climate adaptation response strategies through three core evaluation mechanisms: adequate adaptive capacity, environmental sustainability, and the win-win nature of measures. To test the usefulness of the resiliency criteria, sea level rise response strategies were analyzed. Methods for this project included an extensive literature review of scientific findings as well as in-depth interviews with nine professional experts in the fields of government, academia, and coastal environmental non-profit organizations. The results of the criteria analysis indicate that measures receiving a “very high” ranking thoroughly meet the resiliency goals of maximizing human safety, community protection, environmental sustainability, and flexibility. Measures ranking “low” or “very low” fail the resiliency criteria in two or more categories and likely contribute to environmental degradation. Reviewing adaptation strategies for resiliency is an effective determination of strategic response initiatives. Creating communities resilient to climate change will require local officials to utilize tools such as this to choose optimal adaptation strategies.Item Open Access Assessing Impacts of the Clean Power Plan on Southeast States(2015-05-15) Ross, Martin; Murray, Brian; Hoppock, DavidThe proposed Clean Power Plan gives U.S. states flexibility in how they attain state-level carbon dioxide emissions rate goals from existing power plants. This analysis explores the potential impact of the proposed CPP on Southeast states across a range of compliance options relative to a baseline without the CPP. The analysis presents modeling results from the Dynamic Integrated Economy/Energy/Emissions Model for eight primary compliance scenarios involving rate-based or mass-based compliance, unilateral state action or regional cooperation, and inclusion or non-inclusion of natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) units as regulated entities under the CPP. Regarding electricity sector adjustments, the modeling shows that a rate-based approach initially decreases coal generation, encourages use of existing and construction of new NGCC units, and incentivizes renewable generation, although use of renewables is not cost-effective in the Southeast under baseline cost assumptions. By comparison, a mass-based approach initially increases coal generation and removes incentives for use of existing NGCC units while significantly increasing new NGCC generation. Including new NGCC units under CPP compliance shifts generation from those units to existing NGCC units under mass-based compliance and increases coal generation under rate-based compliance. Regarding policy costs, the modeling shows that individual state compliance costs vary considerably, that a mass-based approach initially entails half the costs of a rate-based approach, and that both regional rate-based and mass-based approaches create significant net cost savings over unilateral state compliance.Item Open Access Measures of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Across the Southeast: Recent Growth and State Trends(2024-06-12) Gowdy, TreyElectric vehicle (EV) market share is increasing and substantial public and private investment in EV charging infrastructure is rising to meet demand. This report examines recent developments across a dozen states in the Southeast. In particular, this brief will answer: * What are the recent changes in overall Level 2 and direct current fast charging (DCFC) port counts across Southeastern states? * Are there substantial differences in the growth of EV ports between states during the last year (2023)? * How has EV charging infrastructure per capita changed in the last five years across the region? * Are there substantial differences in the number of EV ports per capita in the last five years? The analysis reveals that the number of EV charging ports in the Southeast continues to grow rapidly; however, the at-large public EV charging port access in the region remains behind the national average.Item Open Access Smart Microgrids to Improve Reliability and Resiliency of Power Supply in the Southeast(2023-05-01) Pumarejo Villarreal, Jose Eduardo (Puma)Extreme weather events in the Southeast have frequently caused significant damage to the power grid, leaving millions without electricity for extended periods. Despite substantial investments, vulnerabilities stemming from the centralized nature of the system remain unresolved. However, the implementation of decentralized smart microgrid technology presents a potential solution to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events and enhance power supply reliability and resiliency. Microgrids, which consist of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources, can operate in coordination with the main grid or independently. Each microgrid requires a customized approach to design, installation, and management. Although smart microgrids can improve power supply reliability and resiliency by up to 60%, their high costs often render projects financially unfeasible. To accelerate the adoption of microgrids in the Southeast, clear state-level regulations, standardized guidelines for electric utilities, and economic assessments of resilient infrastructure are needed. Additionally, exploring the establishment of a Southeast ISO could facilitate the replication of successful practices from regions like California, Texas, and New York.Item Open Access The Browning of Threat: The “Unintended” Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement in a New Destination Community(2018) Arriaga, FeliciaMy dissertation is a mixed-methods approach to investigate how local law enforcement implements federal immigration enforcement programs throughout the state of North Carolina. I’ve spent time as a participant observer as well as conducted formal and informal follow-up interviews with attendees at 287(g) Steering committee meetings and/or persons previously involved with each program in each of the following counties: 1) Henderson County, 2) Gaston County, 3) Cabarrus County, 4) Wake County, and 5) Mecklenburg County. I’ve supplemented this information with archival data from counties during their adoption phase of the 287(g) program and incorporated related immigration information when relevant.
In this research, first, I document how various entities became crimmigration entities. Second, I theorize how these partnerships became normalized in order to protect a variety of white interests. Lastly, I focus on how this one program might be situated within a broader framework, which attempts to define immigration enforcement practices at the local level.
Item Open Access Trends in Electric Vehicle Charging Ports per Site in the Southeastern United States(2023-08-18) Gowdy, Trey; Simmons, RichardThis report provides an overview of the market trends in electric vehicle (EV) charging ports per station across 12 Southeastern states based on an analysis of charging station characteristics over the last decade. As of 2022, we identify an average of 2.3 ports per Level 2 charging station and 4.6 ports per direct current fast charging (DCFC) station in the region. The observed trend in the Level 2 market has been consistent over the study period, whereas the more complex DCFC space is characterized by much greater variability. These observations are relevant to public and private interests in the ongoing goal to electrify light-duty vehicles.Item Open Access Wood Energy in the Southeastern United States: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth(2009-04-24T15:03:11Z) Palange, DavidEconomic and environmental concerns over fossil fuels are placing the Southeast United States in a position to expand its use of wood biomass for energy. The region’s productive forestland, growing population, and wood products industry can help provide a sustainable, diverse and abundant supply of woody biomass much of which is currently unutilized. While federal and state policies are steering the use of wood toward large-scale production of cellulosic ethanol and electricity in the Southeast, the generation of thermal energy, the most efficient use of wood, appears to be undervalued. Three market segments that can benefit economically from biomass thermal energy are highlighted: institutions, agriculture, and industry. These segments are selected based on sustainability criteria that include a rapid payback period, high demand for thermal energy, efficient use of woody biomass, proximity to fuel source, and potential for repeatability across the region. Sensitivity analyses and case studies are used to support these findings. Critical factors for implementation of biomass thermal energy in the Southeast are also identified, revealing key economic, political and social barriers and drivers. Central barriers include the lack of a formal biomass market, competition with conventional fossil fuels, and poor public perception of wood energy. Drivers that favor the expansion of wood energy systems are renewable energy tax credits, an established forestry infrastructure, and the mutual relationship between biomass removal for energy and forest management practices. The findings can be used to support government, business, and agricultural clients that are looking to invest in affordable and renewable energy projects.