Key ETAPA projects are listed here. A detailed listing of all ETAPA projects can be found on Sarah Jordaan's CV.

Funding agencies: NSERC Alliance Missions GH

Funding period: 2023 – 2026

Abstract: Electricity markets will be impacted as transportation sectors seek to achieve net zero goals. Decarbonization of the transportation sector in line with Canada's policies (i.e., the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and Zero Emissions by 2050) will substantially shift the spatial patterns of supply and demand as transportation and electric sectors become increasingly interdependent. New grid balancing options will be required to ensure electricity markets can manage such shifts. Further, new waste streams (e.g., e-waste from batteries) will need thoughtful plans to mitigate adverse environmental impacts of decarbonization. Government decision-making requires robust knowledge of costs and impacts to ensure that net zero goals can be met while overcoming otherwise unforeseen negative consequences of the energy transition. The goal of this proposal is to build an Alliance to develop decision-support tools that provide robust technical information about the critical, emerging storage options that will support net-zero transitions in Canada as the transportation and electric sectors become increasingly interdependent. The key technological areas this proposal will address include: pumped hydro, batteries, hydrogen, and alternative fuel options. Techno economic and life cycle assessments will be built specific to Quebec's current and projected energy infrastructure for each technology stream. Generic models will be developed and adapted to different scales and regions across Canada informed by a workshop. Since geographic and temporal variability can impact outcomes, parametric models will be critical for alignment with Canada's net zero policies. Results will support scenarios that investigate solutions for a sustainable, economically viable net zero energy system in Canada. Our partners comprise Natural Resources Canada and Electricity Canada, thus including key technical experts in electricity and storage as well as policymakers and utilities across the country.

Funding agency: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Funding period: 2019 – 2026

Abstract: Comparisons of the land use estimates of different electricity generation technologies often rely on poorly estimated, rule-of-thumb calculations, with little direct observation of how much land each of these components actually occupies in the real world. This project supports research to rigorously estimate the land use requirements for different electricity generation technologies and their associated fuel supplies. Aerial imagery analysis is crucial to more accurately account for the individual land footprint of different components of the energy system. The focus of this effort is on the United States portion of what is known as the Western Interconnection, a region from the Rocky Mountains westward that includes almost every type of power generation facility (including natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind, and, solar), elements of their supply chains (natural gas production facilities, coal mines, uranium mines, and pipelines), and transmission and distribution lines for connecting wind and solar sites to the grid. This study provides the tools to better assess the power density and land use intensity of each generation technology by combining geospatial techniques, machine learning, and energy systems analysis.

Funding agency: U.S. National Petroleum Council

Funding period: 2023 – 2024

Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for estimating the potential environmental impacts of a product or service over all or part of its life cycle, including procurement of raw materials, manufacturing activities, use of the product, and the end-of-life disposal. An LCA exclusively investigating GHG emissions associated with a product yields a carbon footprint. Similarly, the sum of GHG emissions and GHG removals of one or more selected process(es) in a product system expressed as CO2 equivalents and based on the selected stages or processes within the life cycle gives a partial carbon footprint. Considering the complexities of existing comprehensive process-based LCA models, the Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment of Natural Gas – Greenhouse Gases (SLiNG-GHG) model was developed to facilitate broader use by various stakeholders by utilizing publicly available data sources compatible with LCA, coupled with expert judgement by subject-matter experts in (1) the natural gas upstream and midstream (including LNG), and (2) LCA.