Massachusetts recently enacted a new climate law committing the state to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Clean electricity is crucial to this effort because decarbonization in the other sectors relies on electrification (e.g., electric vehicles and heat pumps). As the building and transportation sectors decarbonize, demand for electricity will increase. This means that the electricity supply will simultaneously need to decarbonize and expand. For my thesis project next year, I will use two computer simulation models to examine the tradeoffs between emissions and cost as clean energy standards in Massachusetts tighten. A poster session deriving from Special Studies with Judith Cardell, Professor of Engineering and of Computer Science.
by Lucy Metz '22