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3.1.1 A Look at the U.S. Energy System –A Strategic Impact Model (2050 SIM)
Author(s) -
Pincock Layne F.,
Collins John W.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2011.tb01201.x
Subject(s) - documentation , energy engineering , environmental economics , electricity , energy (signal processing) , energy technology , stewardship (theology) , energy system , energy management , business , engineering , economics , computer science , political science , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , law , electrical engineering , programming language
Although the United States (U.S.) energy infrastructure is reliable and accessible, it is also excessively reliant on foreign energy sources, experiences high volatility in energy prices, does not always practice good stewardship of finite indigenous energy resources, and emits significant quantities of greenhouse gases. The U.S. Department of Energy is conducting research and development on advanced nuclear reactor concepts and technologies, including High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) technologies, directed at helping the United States meet its current and future energy challenges. This paper discusses the systematic approach used to develop the 2050 Strategic Impact Model (2050 SIM), which allows the user to analyze and depict the benefits of various energy sources in meeting the energy demand. It also provides an overall systems understanding of the tradeoffs between building and using HTGRs versus other existing technologies for providing energy (heat and electricity) to various energy‐use sectors in the United States. This paper also provides the assumptions used in the model, the rational for the methodology, and the references for the source documentation and source data used in developing 2050 SIM.