PROJECTS
Analyzing low-carbon and cost-effective strategies to meet growing energy demand in Indonesia
February 2020 – Ongoing
Project Description • Indonesia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with an electricity system reliant on fossil fuels and renewable electricity contributing a small portion of their growing demand. In this study, we utilize an optimization approach to consider different policy-driven pathways for Indonesia’s long-term electricity planning by formulating different predictive scenarios based on current policy discussions and changes in the energy industry regarding possible coal moratorium, declining costs of technologies, carbon tax scheme and a scenario built on Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions statements. Our findings suggest that in all non-business-as usual projections to 2050, renewable energy contributions to Indonesia’s electricity portfolio will grow, with solar outcompeting wind; that the country’s electricity future must shift largely to natural gas; and coal and oil to quickly decline. Geothermal resources will play a significant role in the Nationally Determined Contributions scenario and there are natural renewable potential limits that have to be considered. These findings will be useful to electricity sector policymakers and planners as Indonesia continues along its sustainable economic development pathway.
This project marks the first collaboration of the Island Policy Lab with the Reiner Lemoine Institute in Germany. Reiner Lemoine Institute is an independent non-profit organization which conducts applied research to give scientific support to a long-term energy transition.
Contributions:
— Energy Transition
— Sustainability
— Climate mitigation
— Energy planning
Exploring Governance Dynamics for Sustainable Energy Transitions in Overseas Island Jurisdictions: The Case of Martinique in the Caribbean
October 2021 – Ongoing
Partner Institutions • University of Delaware /Université de la Reunion
Project Description • Small island jurisdictions continue to be strained by dependence on imported fossil fuels to run their economies and meet the needs of their societies. Seeking cleaner energy options and further energy independence through transitions to renewable resources such as wind, solar and geothermal have potential in many islands but have yet to reach fruition. Drawing from our experience in assessment of technical renewable energy potentials and policy, regulatory and institutional analysis of energy security in islands, our interest is planning pathways for achieving transition in the particular contexts of overseas island departments and territories. For this the researchers study the French departments in the Caribbean and Indian ocean, the nature of their energy governance and their transition goals, while navigating regional energy policy with independent island neighbors and comparing to U.S and Netherlands island territories in the Caribbean region.
This project is funded by the Thomas Jefferson Fund from FACE Foundation – an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting French-American relations through innovative cultural and educational projects.
Contributions:
— Energy Transition
— Sustainability
— Climate mitigation
— Energy planning
Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable, Post-Pandemic Recovery in U.S Island Territories
January 2022 – March 2022
Project Description • U.S island territories like small island states have been highlighted as among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events, often economically limited and less diversified, have fragile ecologies, are highly indebted and often energy insecure. The imperative is to leverage technology for economic strengthening and value added, clean economic activities that are magnified and impactful. Through this grant from ORAU, the Island Policy Lab has organized a set of three webinars to showcase how island contexts provide unique opportunities for university-government-private sector partnerships to pilot and test prototypes and models where they can make a real difference; and the policies and strategies for progress. These webinars discuss new and innovative tools, processes and technologies that can promote islands’ sustainability and update the community on the current and future state of policies and research strategies that are relevant to small island states generally, but most specifically focusing on U.S island territories globally.
Outputs • The project produced three webinars which can be accessed on the Webinar page.
This project is funded by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) – which provides innovative and technical solutions to federal agencies to advance national priorities in health, science and education.
Contributions:
— Knowledge building
— Science
— Technology policy
— Climate Change
This project is funded by the University of Delaware Research Foundation, Inc. (UDRF) which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization for the support of fundamental research in all fields of science at the University of Delaware.
Contributions:
— Energy planning
— OSeMOSYS Modelling
— Qualitative methods
— Resilliency
Designing energy policy for secure, renewable transitions: Application of the OSeMOSYS energy modelling tool in U.S. Island Territories
May 2020 – June 2022
Project Description • The U.S Virgin Islands (USVI) face a unique set of challenges with regard to access to clean energy sources supported by a resilient infrastructure. All three USVI islands are entirely dependent on fuel oil and propane with solar accounting for 1% of total electricity consumption. Electric vehicles are in their nascency. Frequent power outages and the damages to the grid following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 have prompted authorities to be resilient and sustainable in energy sector planning. In this study, we combine a qualitative method and the quantitative energy optimization OSeMOSYS modelling tool to examine policy measures for policymakers to achieve a sustainable future in the USVI. The qualitative-quantitative analytic logic involves a series of meetings with stakeholders to formulate policy packages, and the modelling results produce energy-economic implications to accelerate decarbonization in the USVI. Results offers insights on energy transition for the USVI as well as making a contribution to island-specific literature over ways for evidenced-based energy sector planning by stakeholder-informed approaches.
Outputs • The project resulted in academic publications and numerous conference presentations in other island nations and Europe, facilitating knowledge dissemination in the area of energy planning.
Public Lectures by Prof.
Kalim Shah
— Public Seminer
— Workshops
— Presentations
— Inteviews
Public Lectures by Prof. Kalim Shah
Director, Island Policy Lab and Assistant Professor of Energy & Environmental Policy, University of Delaware
Dr Shah is a recognized expert on public policy, regulation and governance in small island jurisdictions. As an institutional theorist, his research addresses science-based policy and regulatory design and administration for climate change, pollution prevention, clean technology, industrialization and sustainable production and consumption. His new work is on the effectiveness of tools such as technology needs assessments and regulatory impact assessments for informing policy decisions.
Dr. Shah was appointed as the Coordinator of the Universities Consortium of Small Island States, a UN Multi-stakeholder Partnership and served as Coordinating Lead Author for Environmental Policy Assessment of the UN Global Environmental Outlook 6 Report. He is the President of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association. He is an active member of the AAAS Caribbean Committee.
Dr. Shah’s expertise continues to be called upon in the international sphere, where he has provided expert advice, research and analysis for organizations including the World Bank Group, InterAmerican Development Bank, United Nations Development Program, Pan-American Health Organization and various governments of island countries including Guyana and Suriname where he designed the national climate change policies. Dr Shah received his PhD in Public Policy from George Mason University with his dissertation on corporate sustainability and regulatory environmental management. He received his MSc in Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies and BSc in Natural Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.
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