This report presents the findings of a two-day Rapid Cultural Assessment (RCA) to assess potential impacts to resources important to American Indians from gravel road improvements associated with the Shoshone Mountain phase of the MNS Wind Farm Project on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The study was conducted by the American Indian Writers Subgroup (AIWS), an official committee of the Consolidated Group of Tribes and Organizations (CGTO). The CGTO is composed of 16 tribes and 3 Indian organizations that have historic or cultural ties to the NTS. The work was facilitated by Dr. Stoffle from the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology at the University of Arizona (UofA). Funding was provided by DOE/NV.

Coal combustion is recognized as the primary source of anthropogenic mercury emission in South Africa followed by gold mining. Coal is also known to contain trace concentrations of mercury which is released to the environment during coal mining, beneficiation or combustion. Therefore, determining the mercury speciation in coal is of importance in order to understand its behavior and fate in the environment. Mercury was also used, at a large extent, in the Witwatersrand Basin (South Africa) for gold recoveries until 1915 and is still used in illegal artisanal mining. Consequences of these activities are the release of mercury to the environment. Nowadays, gold (and uranium) is also recovered through the reprocessing of old waste dumps increasing the concern related to mercury pollution. While much effort has been put in the northern hemisphere to understand and control problems related to anthropogenic mercury release and its fate to the ecosystem, risk assessment of mercury pollution in South Africa was based, until very recently, on total element concentrations only or on non systematic fragmental studies. It is necessary to evaluate mercury speciation under the country’s semi arid conditions, which are different to environmental conditions that exist in the northern hemisphere, and characterize potential sources, pathways, receptors and sinks in order to implement mitigation strategies and minimize risk. In this study, analytical methods and procedures have been developed and/or optimized for the determination of total mercury and the speciation of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in different sample matrices such as air, coal, sediment, water and biota. The development of an efficient and cost effective method for total gaseous mercury (TGM) determination was achieved using nano-gold supported metal oxide (1% wt Au) sorbents and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). Analytical figures of merit and TGM concentrations obtained when using Au/TiO2, as a mercury trap, were similar to those obtained with traditional sorbents. The combination of isotope dilution with the hyphenated gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID GC-ICP-MS) was also achieved and used successfully for the speciation analysis of mercury in solid, liquid and biological samples. The developed, or optimized, methodologies were used to estimate the average mercury content and characterize the speciation of mercury in South African coals, and also to study the speciation of mercury in selected South African environmental compartments impacted by gold mining activities. The obtained average mercury content in coals collected from the Highveld and Waterberg coalfields (0.20 ± 0.03 mg kg-1) was close to the reported United States Geological Survey (USGS) average for South African coals. Speciated isotope dilution analyses and sequential extraction procedures revealed the occurrence of elemental mercury, inorganic and organo-mercury species, and also the association of mercury mainly to organic compounds and pyrite. The environmental pollution assessment was conducted within the Witwatersrand Basin, at four gold mining sites selected mainly for their mining history and from geophysical information obtained through satellite images. This study showed a relatively important pollution in three of the four sites, namely the Vaal River west site near Klerksdorp, the West Wits site near Carletonville (both in the North-West Province) and the Randfontein site in the West Rand (Gauteng Province). Only one site, the closed Rietfontein landfill site in the East Rand (Gauteng Province) was found to be not impacted by mercury pollution. The methylation of mercury was characterized in all sites and factors governing the mercury methylation process at the different study sites were also investigated. Geochemical models were also used to explain the distribution, transport and fate of mercury in the study systems.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / As the electric energy demand grows, there is a significant increase in the penetration of renewable generation (RG) in the existing electrical grid network. Interconnecting of renewable generation technologies to an existing distribution system has proven to provide various benefits such as meeting the growing load demand and its contribution to energy system decarbonisation, long-term energy security and expansion of energy access to new energy consumers in the developing urban and rural areas. However, the aim of this thesis is to conduct a study on the impacts of renewable generation on the power quality of electrical grid. Therefore, this work aims at assessing the potential effects of Distributed Generation (DG) on the operation of electric power system by modelling of harmonics and voltage distortion. With different types of renewable generation available at present, it is believed that some designs contribute significantly to electrical network’s Power Quality (PQ). After the analysis of harmonic currents (chapter 6 and 7 of this thesis) introduced by renewable generation technologies, their negative impact on the power quality of the grid is seen to be apparent at point of connection (POC) but only within controlled limits. Analytical method for modeling of harmonic interactions between the grid and aggregated distributed generation technologies are investigated using DIgSILENT Power Factory software and the results obtained are discussed.

This dissertation investigates the relationship between electricity market reforms and the development of renewable energy through interviews with policymakers, energy experts, and industry representatives in Brazil. Within the context of market-oriented power reforms initiated in the 1990s, policymakers have attempted to diversify the energy supply and reduce the country’s reliance on hydroelectric power. However, Brazil’s pre-existing hydropower infrastructure has hindered the diffusion of alternative options. By looking at energy auctions and net-metering regulations for wind and solar energy, this research explores the role of independent regulators in facilitating the development of non-hydro renewable sources of energy. While academic and policy debates center on designing public support schemes for renewable energy, this research argues that adaptive regulation can provide opportunities for new technologies that policy instruments alone are unable to achieve. In particular, the governance characteristics of regulatory agencies are critical to the effective articulation of renewable energy policies. Three subnational case studies further demonstrate how states and regions contribute to developing and deploying wind and solar energy technologies.

The amount of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation required to prevent the most dramatic climate change scenarios postulated in the 2014 IPCC Synthesis Report is substantial. Prior analyses have examined the potential for nuclear energy to play a role in decarbonizing the energy sector, one of the largest contributors to emissions worldwide. However, advanced, non-light water reactors, while often touted as a viable alternative for development, have languished. Large light water development projects have a repeated history of extended construction timelines, re-work delays, and significant capital risk. With few exceptions, large-scale nuclear projects have demonstrated neither affordability nor economic competitiveness, and are not well suited to nations with smaller energy grids, or to replace fossil generation in the industrial process heat sector. If nuclear power is to play a role in decarbonization, new policy and technical solutions will be needed. In this manuscript, we examine key aspects of past performance across the nuclear enterprise and explore the future potential of nuclear energy worldwide, focusing on policy and technical solutions that may be needed to move nuclear power forward as a part of a low-carbon energy future. We do so first at a high level, examining the history of nuclear power research and development in the United States, the nation that historically has led the way in the development of this generating technology. A significant portion of our analysis is focused on new developments in this technology – advanced non-light water reactors and small modular reactors. We find that while there are promising technical solutions available, improved funding and focus in research and new models of deployment may be needed if nuclear is to play a continuing or future role. We also find that in examining potential new markets for the technology, a continuing focus on institutional readiness is critical.

In recent years, much research has focused on the possibility of using arrays of turbines to generate clean and predictable power from tidal currents. The first such array is now in development but a number of important questions remain unanswered. Among these, how should turbines be arranged within a tidal stream to maximise their collective performance? And what impacts will such devices have on the marine environment? In beginning to address these questions, this thesis takes two important steps toward establishing best practice in the design of tidal turbine arrays. In the first part of the thesis, the social and ecological impacts of marine energy development are reviewed. This review highlights the importance of communication and public engagement in securing support for a marine energy project and identifies the effects of increasing noise and collision risk on marine life as the most pressing ecological issues to be addressed. In the second part, theoretical models of tidal turbines are examined and a simple numerical model is used to extend existing theories on optimal turbine arrangement. The shallow water equations are used to simulate flow through an idealised channel and an actuator disc model is used to represent a single row of tidal turbines as a line sink of momentum. Optimal turbine arrangements are then sought for different and increasingly realistic flow conditions. Results provide new and important insights into the dynamics of flow through partial-width arrays and suggest that arranging turbines unevenly within the flow cross-section can increase considerably their collective power output.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there are several challenges that hinder development. One of these challenges is access to electricity. There are numerous benefits to having access to reliable electricity. These include less time spent fetching water from rivers and dams, as water purification systems for households could be used in villages; children in villages would be able to spend more time doing their schoolwork and not fetching wood for fire; and automated irrigation systems could be used for villagers to farm and make an income. Finding alternative ways to generate electricity would enable access to electricity for regions that currently do not have the electricity. This means that large organisations need to find alternative ways of generating electricity, as they have the means to do so. With the current renewable energy technologies available, there are now more ways in which electricity could be generated. The use of biomass is no exception to this. With constant developments in the renewable energy sector, waste-to-energy (WtE) is proving to be a viable method to generate electricity. The main aim of this research was to determine if a commercial food retailing organisation could use their food waste for generating electricity for their own use to reduce their demand from the central grid. A way of determining the viability of this type of technology is using a software that simulates renewable energy projects. In this research, an organisation was contacted for waste data. Systems for two of the stores will be simulated and results will be discussed. The organisation will remain anonymous. The software used in this research is System Advisor Model (SAM), which was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States. In the results, three results were discussed. These are the monthly energy, monthly heat rate and the monthly boiler efficiency for each of the stores for Store 1, the annual energy simulated was 138,509 kWh and 131,677 kWh for Store 2. Monthly energy averages for each store were 11,542 kWh for Store 1 and 10,973 kWh for Store 2, respectively. There are several opportunities for research based on the findings. These include researching other food sectors in the study; conducting a financial analysis of small-scale WtE systems; constructing a prototype of the system; and using three different softwares to simulate a system for the same project.

This dissertation explores how property rights to a natural resource affect economic decisions for investment or sale, and how these decisions may in turn impact other areas of the economy. The first essay focuses on how incomplete land ownership on Indian Reservations in the United States affects landowner incentives to engage in agricultural production. The second essay explores how the transfer of water in arid regions via water right sales affects local labor markets and environmental outcomes. The third essay seeks to understand how shale-gas drilling has affected organic food production. This dissertation provides several policy implications. First, the findings suggest that the key to improving lagging agricultural development on American Indian land is to improve tribal farmers’ access to capital, so they can invest in agricultural systems (including irrigation) at the level of their neighbors enjoying fee-simple title. Second, while a potentially effective solution to reduce costly water shortfalls among high-value urban users, water sales from agricultural to urban users appear to simultaneously decrease employment and environmental quality in the water exporting region. Third, Drilling activities appear to discourage organic farming in Colorado. While farmers with mineral ownership benefit, identifying the direct causes of lost organic certification can inform policy that regulates negative externalities on organic farms caused by drilling.

Concern regarding the effect of energy development on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is increasing as the search for fossil fuel intensifies. Sage-grouse may be especially sensitive to energy development because they require large, diverse areas of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat to complete their life cycle. Additionally, the network of pipelines, roads, and wells required by energy development may fragment sagebrush habitat isolating populations and contributing to genetic drift, inbreeding, local extinction, or rapid divergence. Seep Ridge, located in northeastern Utah, is one area where sage-grouse habitat and energy development plans overlap. Approved leases call for the construction of an additional 4,000 natural gas wells in an area currently occupied by a small sage-grouse population. This research was completed to 1) collect baseline data on the survival, reproductive success and habitat use of the Seep Ridge sage-grouse population, 2) examine sage-grouse habitat use patterns in relation to development, and 3) describe sage-grouse mitochondrial genetic diversity in 3 northeastern Utah populations relative to other parts of the species range. I captured and monitored 16 sage-grouse from the Seep Ridge population in 2007 and 2008. Adult mortality rate of the Seep Ridge population was high (65.2%) and recruitment was low (7.1%) compared to other sage-grouse populations in Utah. Additionally, the monitored sage-grouse used habitats located farther from wells more frequently than habitat located near wells, relative to well spacing. Current habitats occupied by this population do not meet recommended guidelines. No unusual haplotype compositions were observed in the genetic survey of the northeastern Utah sage-grouse populations. However, differences in haplotype composition between the Anthro Mountain and Strawberry Valley populations and other northeastern grouse populations indicate there may be a barrier to gene flow in the area. I also documented that the Seep Ridge population is connected to another population inhabiting Ute Tribal land. This observation suggests that the populations inhabiting Ute Tribal land may constitute a source population to recolonize Seep Ridge during the post-energy development periods. I recommend that mitigation measures incorporate restricting development in breeding habitat, maintaining connections between populations, and actions to reduce adult mortality on the summer range. I also recommend that biologists continue collecting genetic samples from northeastern Utah sage-grouse populations to understand population structure, divergent evolution, and inform decisions concerning translocation

This work examines issues that are restricting the wider adaptation of sustainable (‘renewable’) energy systems in Australia and elsewhere. Several new innovative areas of opportunity for improving the application of wind and solar PV based systems have been explored and developed. A number of financial and regulatory obstructions to wind and solar systems and grid connection are examined and a number of regulatory changes to the regulatory electricity codes are suggested. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)