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GLIMPSE: A GCAM-USA-based tool for supporting coordinated energy and environmental planning
Citation:
Loughlin, Dan, Chris Nolte, C. Lenox, T. Wu, W. Shi, Y. Ou, S. Babaee, S. Smith, AND C. Ledna. GLIMPSE: A GCAM-USA-based tool for supporting coordinated energy and environmental planning. Presented at GCAM Community Meeting, College Park, Maryland, November 07 - 09, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
The purposes of this presentation are to: (i) describe EPA modifications to the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) to update emission factors and incorporate air quality regulations; (ii) compare the resulting emission projections for a baseline scenario to recent EPA base year and projected emission inventories, (iii) demonstrate the resulting model for several example applications, and (iv) discuss future developmental directions. This presentation is being made at the GCAM Community meeting. The audience is technical and largely is comprised of modelers and analysts.
Description:
GCAM-USA is an integrated assessment model, meaning that it simulates the interactions among human and earth systems. GCAM-USA is derived from GCAM, which represents the U.S. as one region within a 32-region global model. GCAM-USA subdivides the U.S. region into 50 states and the District of Columbia. GCAM had previously been used to look at broad regional and global scenarios. With 50-state resolution, the model now has the ability to be applied to evaluate national- and even state-level policy and energy scenarios. Because of its origin, however, treatment of air pollutant emissions was generalized and did not represent U.S. state-level policies and conditions. We have modified GCAM-USA by improving emission factors to harmonize with EPA assumptions and by adding representations of regulatory constraints, including the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). We have also developed a graphical user interface to facilitate execution of the model. Here, we demonstrate its use to project emissions for future scenarios and to evaluate the air pollutant emission and health co-benefits of a regional climate policy, RGGI.