Part Two - Chapter 3: Assessing the Electricity System Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
This chapter of Quantifying the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: A Guide for State and Local Governments provides analysts and policy makers with information about a range of methods they can use to assess the electricity system-related benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy. It first describes the methods and key considerations for selecting or using the methods. The chapter then provides case studies illustrating how the methods have been applied and lists a range of relevant tools and resources analysts can use to quantify electricity system impacts. Building off the direct electricity impacts discussed in Chapter 2, “Estimating the Direct Electricity Impacts of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,” the benefits quantified using methods discussed in this chapter can serve as inputs into subsequent economic assessments discussed in Chapter 5, “Estimating the Economic Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.” Several of the methods and tools described in this chapter can also be used to quantify the emissions impacts of energy efficiency and renewable energy, as discussed in Chapter 4, “Quantifying the Emissions and Health Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.”