Options for reducing CO2 emissions in the electricity sector
PARC Forum

• Rosa Yang, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

series: Cleantech

5 February 2009
4:00-5:00pm
George E. Pake Auditorium, PARC
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about PARC forum

description

To minimize global climate change effects due to emissions of carbon dioxide will require a broad portfolio of advanced, cost-effective technologies. Recent evidence indicates that CO2 emissions are growing faster than previously forecast, particularly in developing countries. Hence, the imperative to deploy advanced, climate-friendly technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions cannot be over-emphasized. The task is daunting, but not impossible, requiring both political and technological initiatives. EPRI has developed a portfolio of candidate technologies to guide the RD and D process.

The portfolio consists of:

• Advanced coal technologies with and without carbon capture and storage
• Nuclear generation
• Renewable generation
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
• End use efficiency improvement
• Distributed energy resources

This presentation summarizes the broad portfolio of technologies needed, makes comparisons among the technologies with respect to their cost, performance, and technology availability and EPRI's role in this endeavor.

presenter(s)

Rosa Yang is Vice President, Innovation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). She joined EPRI in 1987 as a Project Manager in the Light Water Reactor Fuel Program, focusing her research activities on fuel design, fuel failure investigation, corrosion, and the impact of plant operation on fuel performance. In 1998, Yang established EPRI's Fuel Reliability Program, with participants from more than 10 countries and 30 nuclear utilities.

As Director of the Materials and Chemistry Department within EPRI's Nuclear Pow er Sector, Yang guided research activities designed to enhance scientific understanding of nuclear issues, and to improve the safe, reliable and economic operation of nuclear power reactors. With a multi-disciplined technical staff of more than 50 and a diverse $55M per year research portfolio, she lead research activities in boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor materials aging and degradation, water chemistry control, fuel performance and reliability, spent fuel storage, high and low-level waste disposal, and radiation control.

Before joining EPRI, Yang worked for General Electric, where she developed the company's fuel design and licensing code. She also served as the technical lead for several internationally sponsored fuel testing programs.

Yang holds a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and a Master of Science and doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Yang is a frequent guest speaker and published author on nuclear fuel and materials technology issues. She has delivered featured presentations at numerous key industry events, including the International Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting, Annual American Nuclear Society Meeting, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Information Conference.

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