{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"analysis_type":["economic feasibility analysis"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'economic feasibility analysis' for facet 'analysis_type' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":3,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?analysis_type=economic+feasibility+analysis","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"wri-001791","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/wri-001791","title":"THE PRODUCTION AND USE OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS AS A CLIMATE STRATEGY IN THE UNITED STATES","publisher":{"name":"World Resources Institute","organization":"world-resources-institute"},"document_type":"research paper","language":"en","date_published":"2018-04","source_url":"https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/production-use-renewable-natural-gas-climate-strategy-united-states.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document examines the production and use of renewable natural gas (RNG) as a climate strategy in the United States, focusing on its potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when derived from organic waste. It identifies that RNG is most effective when produced from waste rather than dedicated land and when it results in net methane emissions reductions. The paper highlights promising feedstocks such as food and yard waste diverted from landfills and livestock manure. While RNG production costs are higher than conventional natural gas, the report notes that economic viability is supported by low-carbon fuel standards and federal incentives. However, it warns that RNG can increase net methane emissions if it comprises 'new methane'—methane that would not have otherwise entered the atmosphere—due to supply chain leakage. The authors call for more data on methane leakage and life-cycle carbon intensities to better integrate RNG into long-term climate plans.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"RNG can be an effective greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy if it meets two specific conditions: it must be produced from waste rather than dedicated land use, and its production and use must result in net methane emissions reductions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The most promising RNG projects for achieving net GHG reductions include those using food and yard waste diverted from landfills and livestock manure from farms where methane is not currently controlled.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"RNG production in the U.S. grew significantly from 1.4 million ethanol-equivalent gallons in 2011 to nearly 190 million in 2016, largely driven by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and state low-carbon fuel standards.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"RNG can lead to a net increase in methane emissions if it consists of 'new methane'—methane that would not have otherwise entered the atmosphere—because leaks and venting during production and distribution can outweigh the climate benefits.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Methane leakage rates across the RNG supply chain vary, with estimates for production and processing ranging from 2% to 10%, and further leaks occurring during transmission, distribution, and vehicle use.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"RNG production from wet wastes is generally more expensive than conventional natural gas, with estimated costs ranging from $3 to $30/MMBtu, whereas conventional natural gas averaged about $3.50/MMBtu since 2010.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Despite high production costs, RNG projects can be economically viable with payback periods ranging from immediate to approximately 10 years, supported by RINs under the Renewable Fuel Standard and state-level low-carbon fuel credits.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) identifies RNG from dairy manure and food and green waste as having the lowest carbon intensity values of any low-carbon fuel under the policy, with some values being negative.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is a significant untapped resource of wet feedstocks in the U.S., with an estimated 50 million dry tons of food waste, animal manure, wastewater sludge, and fats, oils, and greases (FOG) available annually.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001791#insight-9","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["renewable natural gas","methane emissions","greenhouse gas emissions","large goods vehicle","waste management","landfill gas","emission intensity","methane leak","climate finance"],"geography_discussed":["California","Oregon"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["life-cycle assessment","economic feasibility analysis","policy review"]},{"id":"ucs-000249","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-000249","title":"Achieving Illinois’s Clean Energy Potential","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2015-04","source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/04/achieving-illinois-clean-energy-potential-technical-appendix.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document details the use of the NREL Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model to evaluate three policy scenarios for Illinois: a 'No Policies' case, an 'Existing EEPS + Fixed RPS' case, and a 'Strengthened EEPS + RPS' case. It outlines specific adjustments made to EIA AEO 2014 cost and performance assumptions for various generating technologies, including wind, solar, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage, to better reflect project-specific data and recent studies. Additionally, it provides the calculation methods for energy efficiency costs and savings based on Illinois utility filings.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The analysis utilizes three distinct future cases for Illinois: a 'No Policies' case where no targets are required beyond 2014; an 'Existing EEPS + Fixed RPS' case aiming for 25 percent renewable energy by 2025; and a 'Strengthened EEPS + RPS' case based on 2015 proposed legislation targeting 35 percent renewable energy by 2030.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"For the 'Strengthened EEPS + RPS' case, the proposed energy efficiency portfolio standard (EEPS) targets a cumulative annual persisting reduction in electric energy demand of 20 percent by the end of 2025, relative to average annual electricity sales from 2014 through 2016.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) adjusted NREL ReEDS model assumptions to assume higher initial capital costs for new nuclear plants and plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) compared to EIA AEO 2014 projections, citing recent project cost increases and mid-range estimates.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"UCS assumed lower initial capital costs for onshore wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) than the EIA, based on data from recent U.S. projects, while projecting that solar PV costs will decline over time following DOE Sunshot Vision Study scenarios.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The model assumes that onshore wind capacity factors will increase over time to reduce the overall cost of electricity, with Class 3 wind increasing from 32% in 2014 to 40% by 2050.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Energy efficiency investments are estimated using a utility cost of $0.204/kWh (in 2013$) for 2015-2017, with an additional estimated participant cost of $0.234/kWh (in 2013$) for equipment and installation.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000249#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["Renewable portfolio standard","offshore wind power","photovoltaics","carbon capture and storage","biomass","nuclear power","electric power transmission"],"geography_discussed":["United States"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["technical appendix","economic feasibility analysis","policy modeling"]},{"id":"iisd-002309","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/iisd-002309","title":"University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions","publisher":{"name":"International Institute for Sustainable Development","organization":"international-institute-for-sustainable-development"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2010-09","source_url":"https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/university_data_centres.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The study examines three scenarios for greening data centres at Dalhousie University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Alberta. It finds that relocating to remote renewable sites (Scenario 1) or urban low-emission grids (Scenario 2) is economically unviable due to high capital costs. Only on-site waste heat recovery (Scenario 3) showed a positive net present value for one institution. The report suggests a 'green community cloud' managed by CANARIE as a more viable alternative to individual university efforts.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Relocating data centres to remote, zero-carbon facilities (Scenario 1) is financially unattractive, with negative net present values (NPVs) for all three universities: $(8,535,093) for Ottawa, $(6,968,567) for Dalhousie, and $(8,448,132) for Alberta.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Relocating data centres to urban settings in provinces with low-emission grids and waste heat utilization (Scenario 2) also resulted in negative NPVs, ranging from $(2,682,716) for Dalhousie to $(3,616,477) for Alberta.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Modifying existing data centres to capture and utilize waste heat (Scenario 3) was the most economically attractive option, producing a positive NPV of $189,579 for the University of Alberta, though results remained negative for Ottawa and Dalhousie.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Revenue from the sale of carbon credits is generally insufficient to offset the high capital and operating costs of relocating university data centres to remote renewable locations.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The report proposes a 'green community cloud'—a shared data centre infrastructure operated by CANARIE in a low-emission province—as a more economically beneficial alternative that leverages economies of scale and virtualization.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"A proposed community cloud for the three studied universities in an urban location like Montréal would cost approximately $21,000,000 to construct and set up, with estimated annual operating costs of $2,900,000.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The study identifies significant barriers to remote relocation, including concerns over data security, the management of remote sites, and the fact that many university ICT assets are fragmented across various departments.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-002309#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["data center","greenhouse gas emissions","carbon offset","renewable energy","hydroelectricity","waste heat recovery","cloud computing","carbon emission trading","emission trading","energy efficiency"],"geography_discussed":["University of Ottawa","Dalhousie University","University of Alberta","Montreal","United States","Ontario","Quebec","British Columbia","Manitoba"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic feasibility analysis","carbon footprinting","policy review"]}]}