{"435241":{"#nid":"435241","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Approach Could Reduce Human Health Impacts of Electric Power Generation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining information about power plant operation with real-time air quality predictions, researchers have created a new capability to minimize the human health effects of air pollution resulting from electric power generating facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Pollutant Optimization Model, described in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, provides a new approach for reducing the health effects of ozone and fine particulate pollution. By helping to minimize both health impacts and generating costs, the hybrid model may provide a new tool for utility companies seeking to meet air quality standards, complementing traditional capital-intensive emission controls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a test case based on data for the state of Georgia for selected months from 2004 to 2011, the new model suggests that health impacts could have been reduced by $176 million, while increasing generating costs by $84 million \u2013 a net savings of approximately $92 million in health costs. For power systems elsewhere, costs and savings would vary by the types of fuel used, the locations of generating facilities and the amount of flexibility available in regional power systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe test case evaluated sulfate emissions in Georgia prior to installation of flue gas desulfurization units, which have since reduced emission of that pollutant by as much as 97 percent. Sulfates are a major source of fine particulate matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe looked at what would be the least expensive way of running these power plants if you take into account both the generating costs and the health impact costs,\u201d said Valerie Thomas, one of the paper\u2019s senior authors and a professor in the School of Industrial \u0026amp; Systems Engineering and School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cYou would still be operating plants that emit pollutants, of course, but you would reduce operations at the ones having the greatest impact and increase the use of facilities that have less impact or are in other areas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new approach depends on the use of \u201creduced form\u201d air quality predictions. Comprehensive air quality models typically take days of computer time to calculate concentrations of pollution for one emissions scenario, but the new format uses only the \u201csensitivities\u201d derived from the full model to accurately produce predictions in less than a second. This capability allows utility companies, for the first time, to test many possible scenarios in evaluating how air quality would change with different combinations of generating plant operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, when wind conditions carry emissions from one generating facility toward a major population center, that plant could be throttled back and power from a facility affecting fewer people used in place of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, we have integrated the capability for rapidly predicting air quality into the electricity system operation model,\u201d said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cWe can now run thousands of scenarios very quickly, as the winds and other conditions change hourly, to find the most economical way to generate electricity that minimizes population exposure to pollution.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech environmental researchers have been developing and refining air quality models for decades, and now operate models to help regulatory agencies predict when air quality could reach levels of concern. At the same time, other Georgia Tech researchers have studied optimization of power generation to produce power at the lowest cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPutting these technologies together has given us a capability we\u2019ve never had before,\u201d said Armistead Russell, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. \u201cTradeoffs are always made, but right now those decisions have to be made without the necessary knowledge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Georgia, electricity generating facilities use a variety of fuels, including nuclear, coal, natural gas and biomass. The generating facilities range in size, and have differing capabilities to be powered up and down in time scales consistent with changes in the weather, Thomas said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are accustomed to modeling the aspects of how these plants work together to meet demands, which varies on different days of the week and at different seasons of the year,\u201d she explained. \u201cNone of the plants can be flipped on or off like a light bulb, but the utility companies can adjust up and down the amount of power they are producing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECertain generating facilities cost more to operate, and when they are used to substitute for power generated by less expensive facilities, that raises the overall cost. However, the model shows that these higher generating costs can be more than offset by reductions in human health costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is really all about \u2018smart generation,\u2019\u201d said Nenes. \u201cIf there\u2019s a way to meet the standards by controlling who emits what and at what time, that may change the amount of investment you\u2019d need to make in new emission control equipment. Hour-by-hour, we\u2019ll be able to determine what makes the most sense in terms of both cost to produce electricity and its impacts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the hybrid Air Pollutant Optimization Model tracks many forms of pollutants, those regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are fine particulates and ozone. Fine particulates can affect cardiovascular and respiratory health, while ozone at high concentrations can trigger asthma attacks in susceptible persons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPower plants currently account for about a third of pollution, but as a next step, the researchers hope to include emissions from mobile sources such as automobiles in their model. The researchers are also evaluating use of their model in countries such as China and India that have greater pollution concerns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReported in the journal\u2019s Early Edition August 17, the research was supported by a grant from the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech. \u201cBetter understanding of the connections between our energy choices and the impact on human health and environmental is essential as we strive to develop safer, more sustainable solutions to meet our future energy needs,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those mentioned, the study also included Paul Y. Kerl, Wenxian Zhang, and Professors Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, Matthew J. Realff and Joel S. Sokol, all from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Paul Y. Kerl, et al., \u201cA New Approach for Optimal Electricity Planning and Dispatching with Hourly Time-Scale Air Quality and Health Considerations,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining information about power plant operation with real-time air quality predictions, researchers have created a new capability to minimize the human health effects of air pollution resulting from electric power generating facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have created a new capability to minimize the human health effects of air pollution from electric power generating facilities."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-08-17 14:04:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"435161":{"id":"435161","type":"image","title":"Explaining air quality optimization","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Explaining air quality optimization","file":{"fid":"202974","name":"ted-russell4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted-russell4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted-russell4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":925720,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ted-russell4_0.jpg?itok=e61LhpBG"}},"435171":{"id":"435171","type":"image","title":"Electricity generating costs","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Electricity generating costs","file":{"fid":"202975","name":"moreno-cruz1872.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/moreno-cruz1872_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/moreno-cruz1872_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":307813,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/moreno-cruz1872_0.jpg?itok=oJqmuaUO"}},"435181":{"id":"435181","type":"image","title":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895169","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:49","alt":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model","file":{"fid":"202872","name":"july6-07.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july6-07_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july6-07_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":170092,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/july6-07_0.png?itok=h1jdzsmn"}},"435191":{"id":"435191","type":"image","title":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model2","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model2","file":{"fid":"202976","name":"july7-07.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july7-07_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july7-07_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":172108,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/july7-07_0.png?itok=zkbDhDBy"}},"435211":{"id":"435211","type":"image","title":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model3","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model3","file":{"fid":"202977","name":"july10-07.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july10-07_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july10-07_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":167306,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/july10-07_0.png?itok=N-RiCtOT"}},"435221":{"id":"435221","type":"image","title":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model4","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model4","file":{"fid":"202978","name":"july5-07.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july5-07_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/july5-07_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":166127,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/july5-07_0.png?itok=4gvxaCKq"}},"435231":{"id":"435231","type":"image","title":"Explaining air quality optimization2","body":null,"created":"1449256162","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:22","changed":"1475895174","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:54","alt":"Explaining air quality optimization2","file":{"fid":"202979","name":"ted-russell1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted-russell1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted-russell1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":907513,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ted-russell1_0.jpg?itok=OPsSiT0v"}}},"media_ids":["435161","435171","435181","435191","435211","435221","435231"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"138071","name":"Air Pollutant Optimization Model"},{"id":"745","name":"air quality"},{"id":"2866","name":"ozone"},{"id":"746","name":"pollution"},{"id":"169750","name":"sulfate"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}