Presented as part of the College's Summer Webinar Series
Great challenges lie ahead in the transition away from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are not just fuels, but also energy storage, while our most plentiful renewable energy resources, wind and solar, are variable in nature. This means we must embrace a paradigm shift in our energy system for a quick and cost-effective transition. We must shift our focus from looking at the three main uses of fossil fuels separately (electric generation, transportation, and heat), to think of them as one big system in order to account for the variability of wind and solar. Modeling results of these complex systems will be shared as well as the implications and policy recommendations that stem from this modeling.