Power Generation - University of Houston
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All forms of electric power production will be critical to meeting the needs of the growing marketplace. Fossil generation from natural gas, oil, coal for baseload and peaking will be required, as will renewable options such as wind and solar, hydro, and geothermal – and new modes of generation development. We will challenge all forms of electricity to meet all aspects of the dual challenge and to ensure sustainable supply to the marketplace. Generation and the analysis of inputs and outputs will include the carbon balance and forms of technology such as carbon capture, utilization and storage to assure fossil fuels can meet the low carbon challenges. We will also challenge all aspects of the generation systems for full life cycle analysis and comparative analysis for sustainability.

Safe and Reliable CO2 storage

Overview:

As the need and business opportunity to store CO2 emissions, there is compelling requirement that the storage be safe and permanent for the CO2 in geologic formations. These formations include saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and unconventional formations and they must be identified and assessed, tested and proven fit for purpose, the CO2 measured, monitored and verified for permanence and the plume or migration of the CO2 confirmed and inventoried. Maximum storage potential must be realized through the estimation and monitoring of the impact of fluid storage on reservoirs, quantification of short- and long-term risks, detection of migration or changes potentially causing leakage, inventory and certification of stored CO2 will be the ultimate goal.

Need and Impact:

To realize CO2 storage for credits and for the public assurance of safe and permanent storage, there must be technical assurance and ability to certify performance beyond projections or mathematic assumptions. There must be a method and confidence factor in the assurance methods – all of which will feed into the ability to drive business, policy and legal frameworks for the CO2 storage.

Key outcomes:

Development of models, practices, procedures operations and maintenance of a practice that can deliver the assurance of performance short and long term and a framework where risk and impact can be assessed and integrated into a business framework for successful deployment in the market.


Business Case for CO2 Use through 45Q for either Enhanced Oil Recovery or for pure Storage

Overview:

Business, Legal, science and technology, and engineering principles in Petroleum and Process Engineering will be centered in the CCME around the principles of 45Q and what the NPC and DOE have outlined for the “broad commercial deployment of CCUS and CO2 storage”. Our CCME competence will focus on policy and legal briefings and education as well as a platform for informing advocacy in the marketplace. Business and legal frameworks to growth the market in 45Q applications will be supported through our center of excellence established to work closely with the needs of those in the market for research and business scenario development.

Need and Impact:

In anticipation of the results of the NPC study – findings from OGCI developments – and market developments such as a global price on carbon or trading mechanisms that may follow, there will be white spaces in need of capability and capacity to perform work and research. Our CCME will be positioned to respond and lead in assessments and in support of advocacy from the findings and results.

Key outcomes:

White papers and position papers to inform policy makers, government, NGO and industry stakeholders. To convene thought leaders in symposiums and idea exchanges and provide a platform for global engagement of not only US but global players in the market. To be a trusted, non-biased voice and resource that can be utilized and leveraged for CCUS, 45Q and CO2 management.


Public Policy and Legal Framework for Carbon Management

Overview:

Advancing carbon management in the U.S. and globally, requires careful development of legal frameworks and public policy models that can find broad acceptance. The CCME brings influential groups from the Center for Energy, Environment and Natural Resources in the UH School of Law, the Hobby School for Public Policy, and the Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in the Bauer College of Business along with academic programs across the university to comprehensively address the frameworks. The production and development of white papers, advocacy platforms and risk management will be in support of new business models for use, re-use, disposal, long term liability and policy in all areas of carbon management related to CO2, CH4, water, land use, public access and environmental impacts of all forms of carbon management approaches.

Need and Impact:

The market is evolving and demanding new and innovative approaches to carbon management that challenge existing legal framework and policy. The potential to transform progressive carbon management through the EENR programs and the development of continuing educational legal programs can impact not only the workforce of the future, but the continuing needs of the existing workforce. The market will require a center of excellence dedicated to carbon management progressive legal approaches and can serve the stakeholder community as a knowledge center.

Key outcomes:

Global recognition as a knowledge sharing center and educational provider to the stakeholder community.


Executive Education and Workforce of the Future Development

Overview:

The CCME will develop a series of educational learning opportunities to provide 1-2 day, 1 or multiple week experiences, and ultimately a series of course for ongoing learning to keep pace with the changing requirement of the workforce in sustainable development of energy. It will be designed for all levels of incoming learner knowledge and will seek to provide a comprehensive understanding of the 3 key market areas of energy (oil and gas, petrochemicals and electric power) and the role of sustainable development in each area. This education will be designed to understand the techno-economics of fuels and feedstock, role of sustainable development in process and generation technologies and the overall competitive alternatives as the energy transition presents additional regulatory challenges to existing business practices and operations.

Need and Impact:

The CCME will create a learning center for existing workforce to keep pace with change and to grow in the breadth of understanding of the comprehensive energy landscape as energy sustainability is defined and redefined over time. Currently, the challenges of sustainable development are not integrated into the systems level thinking of energy systems and is a significant challenge for energy workforce at all levels. The workforce of the future will also be a learning group target.

Key outcomes:

To be a globally recognized center for energy and “real sustainability” in the energy industry so that all critical aspects of supply, cost and environmental responsibility are properly recognized and solutions that are truly accretive and sustainable are developed.