Principal Investigator John Reilly
Project Website http://globalchange.mit.edu/research/projects/UNU-Wider
This project will evaluate the economic and technical potential of renewable-based power systems in Africa under a trading regime. Linking hydropower generated in river basins across the continent has the potential to smooth annual and seasonal fluctuations in hydropower output and enable larger penetrations of intermittent renewable energy technologies. With this in mind, the study seeks to address how different levels of power systems integration may affect development of the generation mix by midcentury and deployment of low-carbon technologies, in particular, electricity prices, and the reliability of electricity supply. It will also address what critical projects can enable greater power system integration; the types of institutional and market mechanisms that must be in place to enable crossborder trading; how vulnerable the African Power Grid is to climate change and variability; and finally, if there is an optimal regional scale for power pool integration.