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Major technology breakthroughs needed to reach ambitious climate goals

The year 2050 may seem far away, but for electric utilities it feels like tomorrow.

Many political leaders, large corporations and environmental groups are calling for the electricity sector to be 100% carbon-free by midcentury or sooner. While this goal is virtually impossible to meet in 2021, can we reach it in the coming decades without sacrificing electric reliability or affordability? One thing is certain: It will take every ounce of innovation the world has to offer.

The complexity and difficulty in achieving a carbon-free electric grid cannot be understated. No single technology, power source or approach will be sufficient on its own. It will take an all-of-the-above strategy and many technological breakthroughs occurring rapidly in the coming years.

Minnkota Power Cooperative, Beltrami Electric's wholesale power provider, has made great strides toward reducing the carbon footprint of its generation portfolio. About 42% of the generation capacity provided is already derived from carbon-free resources, and methods to decarbonize even further are being pursued.

Minnkota is thoroughly evaluating Project Tundra – an effort to install carbon capture technology at the coal-based Milton R. Young Station near Bismarck, N.D. This power plant has reliably delivered electricity to Beltrami Electric Cooperative members for decades and is well-positioned for technology advancements. The Project Tundra facility is designed to have a 90% CO2 capture rate – which is the equivalent of permanently taking 800,000 gasoline-fueled cars off the road. The CO2 would be safely stored more than one mile underground near the Young Station site. If the project moves forward, a substantial amount of the energy provided to you through Beltrami Electric Cooperative would be carbon-free.

As the energy transition continues, it is vitally important that electric utilities remain part of the conversation and that decisions are based on technological capabilities, reliability and affordability. Here are five things to consider during discussions on a carbon-free energy future.

Need for carbon capture technology

To maintain the reliability and stability of the electric grid, dispatchable resources, like coal and natural gas, will need to continue operation for the foreseeable future. That means that carbon capture technology will need to be rapidly developed and deployed across the country and the world. In fact, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the gold standard in international climate change modeling – has determined that without carbon capture technology, it is virtually impossible to meet ambitious climate goals.

Limitations of renewables and batteries

While wind and solar resources provide zero-emissions energy, they are also limited by the fact that they cannot operate on a frequent-enough basis to stabilize the grid by themselves. Backup resources are still needed for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. While many are optimistic about the future of battery technology, it is still in its infancy at grid scale. Large battery banks can currently only dispatch energy into the grid for a few hours at a time, when multiple days of backup power can be needed.

Electric grid transformation

As more non-dispatchable, intermittent energy comes onto the grid, power system operators will be challenged to meet real-time operational demands. The nation’s electric grid will undoubtedly need to be expanded and upgraded to ensure 24/7 stability. This will require a tremendous amount of investment, planning and coordination across multiple states. A recent study by the CapX2050 group anticipates the investment level to be in the billions in the Upper Midwest alone.

Role of beneficial electrification

As the electric grid continues to see lower emissions levels, electrifying everything – from transportation to heating and water heating – provides long-term economic and environmental benefits. Known as “beneficial electrification,” this concept highlights the opportunities to reduce emissions through increased use of electricity to power devices that would otherwise burn fuels like gasoline, diesel, fuel oil or propane. This will be an essential strategy in decarbonizing other sectors.

Addressing other sectors

Reaching climate goals requires a global strategy that extends well beyond electricity generation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the electricity sector only contributes about 25% of all global greenhouse-gas emissions. If the goal is to reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions, significant reductions must also be found from agriculture (24%), manufacturing (21%), transportation (14%), buildings (6%) and other miscellaneous sources (10%).

 

- Article courtesy of Minnkota Power Cooperative