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A comparison of land-use requirements in solar-based decarbonization scenarios

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  • Shum, Robert Y.

Abstract

What is needed to achieve decarbonization in the United States of America? While recent scholarship has presented detailed scenarios for consideration, further analysis is needed into their implications and the scale of social, institutional, and policy changes that will be necessary for implementation. This communication examines one component of a transition to an energy system based on solar power: the scale and pace of land-use change that would be necessary to realize the widespread use of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) technology envisioned in these scenarios. How much land would be required to deploy the proposed generating capacities for utility-scale solar PV, under a uniform set of assumptions? How does the envisioned change to solar land-use compare to historical episodes of rural settlement? By answering these questions, we focus attention on policies that permitted earlier changes to occur, and the possibilities for similar measures to be adopted in a solar transition.

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  • Shum, Robert Y., 2017. "A comparison of land-use requirements in solar-based decarbonization scenarios," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 460-462.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:109:y:2017:i:c:p:460-462
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.07.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Denholm, Paul & Margolis, Robert M., 2008. "Land-use requirements and the per-capita solar footprint for photovoltaic generation in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3531-3543, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Russell McKenna & Stefan Pfenninger & Heidi Heinrichs & Johannes Schmidt & Iain Staffell & Katharina Gruber & Andrea N. Hahmann & Malte Jansen & Michael Klingler & Natascha Landwehr & Xiaoli Guo Lars', 2021. "Reviewing methods and assumptions for high-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy potential assessments," Papers 2103.09781, arXiv.org.
    3. McKenna, Russell & Pfenninger, Stefan & Heinrichs, Heidi & Schmidt, Johannes & Staffell, Iain & Bauer, Christian & Gruber, Katharina & Hahmann, Andrea N. & Jansen, Malte & Klingler, Michael & Landwehr, 2022. "High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 659-684.
    4. Ji, Qianfeng & Li, Kefeng & Wang, Yuanming & Feng, Jingjie & Li, Ran & Liang, Ruifeng, 2022. "Effect of floating photovoltaic system on water temperature of deep reservoir and assessment of its potential benefits, a case on Xiangjiaba Reservoir with hydropower station," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 946-956.
    5. Grout, Travis & Ifft, Jennifer & Malinovskaya, Anna, 2021. "Energy income and farm viability: Evidence from USDA farm survey data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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