Power Sector Modeling

This area provides information and documentation on EPA’s power sector modeling resources and power sector modeling regulatory applications. In the last few years, EPA has engaged with state air quality planning officials, power company representatives, regional transmission organizations, federal and research organizations, and others working on power sector modeling who have provided input on the data, assumptions, and structure of EPA's power sector analytical tools.

EPA uses the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) to analyze the projected impact of environmental policies on the electric power sector.  In addition to IPM, EPA uses additional complementary analytical tools and approaches informing power sector projections and regulatory actions.

Power Sector Modeling Resources

• National Electric Energy Data System v6 (NEEDS): NEEDS contains the generation unit records used to construct the "model" plants that represent existing and planned/committed units in EPA modeling applications of IPM. NEEDS includes basic geographic, operating, air emissions, and other data on these generating units.
• EPA's Power Sector Modeling Platform v6 using IPM: The latest power sector modeling platform, including the associated input data and modeling assumptions, outputs, and documentation
  • Results Viewer: A spreadsheet tool to compare different IPM runs in conjunction with historical data
• Retrofit Cost Analyzer: A spreadsheet tool to estimate the cost of building and operating pollution controls.
• Energy Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Includes tools that estimate emission, health, and economic benefits of clean energy policies and programs (such as AVERT and COBRA).
• Clean Air Markets Data Resources: Includes a list of available data resources, including emissions and operating data from power plants since 1990 and ambient data to track changes in the environment since the mid-1980s.

Power Sector Modeling Regulatory Applications

EPA’s guidance regarding electricity generating unit (EGU) emission inventories, key modeling/projection input assumptions, appropriate data sources, and general methodological criteria is available in Section 5.3.1 of the Air Emissions Inventory Guidance, including references to state-developed resources like ERTAC  and NE-MARKAL . 

• Final Revised CSAPR Update Rule
• Proposed Revised CSAPR Update Rule
• Final ACE Rule
• Proposed ACE Rule
• Final CSAPR Close-Out
• Proposed CSAPR Close-Out
• Notice of Data Availability: Preliminary Interstate Ozone Transport Modeling Data for the 2015 Ozone NAAQS
• The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update
• The Clean Power Plan
• Previous Power Sector Modeling Regulatory Applications

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