Distributed Power in the United States: Prospects and Policies

by Jeremy Carl (Editor), George P. Shultz (Foreword by), Strobe Talbott (Foreword by)

Overview

Scholars from the Brookings Institution's Energy Security Initiative and the Hoover Institution's Task Force on Energy Policy offer recommendations for ensuring the security and sustainability of our electricity system now and for future generations through the greater deployment of distributed power systems (DPS). Their report provides a comprehensive survey of the current technology and policy landscape of DPS and offers suggestions for its most effective use, along with warnings on its possible pitfalls.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780817915841
Publisher:	Hoover Institution Press
Publication date:	03/01/2013
Edition description:	1
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jeremy Carl is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and a member of the Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy, whose work focuses on energy and environmental policy, with an emphasis on energy security, climate policy, and global fossil fuel markets. In addition, he writes extensively on US-India relations and Indian politics. George P. Shultz is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and has had a distinguished career in government, in academia, and in business. He lives in San Francisco. Strobe Talbott is a foreign policy analyst and a diplomat. He is a former Deputy Secretary of State and a former journalist with Time magazine, and he is the president of the Brookings Institution think tank. He lives in Washington, DC.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations ix

List of Figures and Tables xiii

Foreword George P. Shultz Strobe Talbott xv

Executive Summary xvii

Acknowledgments xxi

Introduction 1

Expert Forum 6

Chapter 1 Overview of Distributed Power Systems 9

1.1 DPS in context 9

1.2 Definitions 14

1.3 Overview of DPS Technology 17

1.4 Functional Risks of DPS Technology 33

1.5 DPS Deployment Trends 35

Expert Forum 40

Chapter 2 Economic and Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis of DPS 43

2.1 Costs and Benefits of Distributed Generation 43

2.2 Results of Cost-Benefit Comparison 49

Expert Forum 54

Chapter 3 Security-Related Benefits of DPS 59

3.1 Energy Security and the Civilian Grid 59

3.2 Energy Security in the U.S. Military 65

3.3 Summary 71

Expert Forum 73

Chapter 4 Current DPS Policy Landscape 79

4.1 Federal Legislation 80

4.2 State-Level Legislation 89

4.3 Local Rules 104

4.4 Other Recent Policy Initiatives 105

4.5 Summary Observations 109

Expert Forum 110

Chapter 5 Policy Research Findings 119

5.1 Drivers and Benefits of DPS 120

5.2 Costs and Barriers 125

5.3 Policymaker Roles 137

5.4 Policy Mechanisms 141

5.5 Other Major DPS-Related Issues 150

Expert Forum 156

Chapter 6 Conclusions and Recommendations 165

6.1 Summary of Findings 165

6.2 Recommendations 169

Annex 1 Cost-Benefit Analysis Model Assumptions 191

Annex 2 Stakeholder Survey 197

Notes 203

About the Authors 225

About the Hoover Institution's Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy and the Brookings Energy Security Initiative 229

Index 231

Editorial Reviews

"This book performs a real service in advancing our understanding of distributed power and the contribution it can make as we move to a more efficient clean energy economy."
—Senator Jeff Bingaman, former chairman, US Senate Energy Committee on Energy and Natural Resources


"This book is an invaluable reference for policymakers, scholars, and businesses looking to understand the complex landscape of distributed power and the challenges and opportunities it presents in the new energy economy."
—Andy Karsner, chairman, Manifest Energy, and former assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy (2006-8)

From the Publisher