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Planning power system (PS) towards renewable energy is crucial for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission as well as mitigating climate change. However, the inherent uncertainty and hierarchical structure of PS pose intractable challenges to the planning process. This study develops a multi-GCM-based interval bi-level programming (MIBP) method that can balance two-level decision-making conflict between CO 2 -emisison reduction and system cost minimization. MIBP can also deal with uncertainties expressed as interval values in objective functions and constraints. Then, a MIBP-PS model is formulated to plan PS for China (2021–2050), where the upper-level objective is to minimize CO 2 emission and the lower-level objective is to minimize the system cost. The major findings are: (i) the CO 2 emission for PS would reach peak value before 2030 and then reduce by [10.2, 20.4]% in 2050, which is mainly owing to the curtailment of fossil fuel; (ii) compared with the conventional model, CO 2 emission from MIBP-PS model could decrease by [3.1, 4.8]%, which shows the superiority of the developed model; (iii) the fossil-fuel power would be gradually replaced by renewable energy, and the proportion of coal-fired power would decrease by 38.8% by 2050, especially small coal-fired facilities (i.e., below 0.3 GW) should be gradually phased down. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impact of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which are an integral part of climate change mitigation measures, depends on charging strategies, such as uncontrolled charging, controlled charging (V1G), and discharging (V2G). However, the impact is unclear because power system operation involves the cost of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and flexibility requirements for imbalances caused by renewable energies. To clarify the robustness of the environmental impact of BEVs, we assessed the interactions between CO 2 prices and flexibility requirements in Japan in 2030 using a production cost model. The results showed that uncontrolled charging increases CO 2 emissions, whereas V1G or V2G reduces them. Further, the impact of BEVs was non-monotonic with respect to CO 2 prices, implying that policymakers should carefully evaluate CO 2 prices to achieve decarbonization as BEVs do not always reduce CO 2 emissions. This study provides useful insights for policymakers in countries with low-cost, inflexible, and high-emission power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government has announced ambitious carbon reduction goals to address climate change, however, there has been limited scientific attention to the achievement of deep decarbonization in regions with insufficient economic development. Moreover, the complex impacts of climate change mitigation on energy system, environment and economic development remain unclear in Northwest China. Here we construct a comprehensive evaluation model system to evaluate the effects of different climate mitigation pathways in Qinghai, Ningxia, Gansu and Xinjiang provinces. Results show that the four provinces need to vigorously increase the share of electricity that consumed in final energy to 53.1–60.0% and 52.9–62.0% for 2 °C and 1.5 °C target, respectively, and reduce total energy demand to 11.6–44.4 Mtoe and 8.2–34.1 Mtoe in 2050. Meanwhile, the CO 2 emissions for their energy systems will reach peak by 2025 at lower values. Moreover, the synergies of CO 2 reduction are most conducive to abating SO 2 pollution and also contributing to decreasing PM 2.5 concentrations. Additionally, the GDP losses in 2050 fluctuate from 5.0 to 21.7 billion USD in the 2 °C scenario to 11.5–52.7 billion USD in the 1.5 °C scenario. Our study provides practical guidance on achieving carbon reductions in less developed regions of China and lays foundations to promote decarbonization of energy systems in other provinces. • Realizing climate goals requires low-carbon energy systems led by electricity. • Energy-related carbon emissions in Northwest China will peak by 2025. • More ambitious climate and clean air policies are needed for air quality improvement. • Economic loss shows an upward trend in the future under climate targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]