MentalModeller: Modeling the Transition to a Cleaner Electricity Portfolio in Texas

Texas has a range of energy options at its disposal and has the opportunity to make choices that grow renewables (e.g. solar and wind) while encouraging the production of less carbon-intensive fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas). Currently, around 40% of electricity is still generated from burning coal, and only a very minor portion of electricity is from renewables.

In this project, we try to model the transition to a Cleaner Electricity Portfolio in Texas. The two main goals are to lower the overall emission of greenhouse gases for the electricity grid and to encourage growth of cleaner, renewable energy resources. Our objectives include diversifying the energy portfolio of Texas, encouraging the production and exportation of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, and reallocating the added revenue to the transition to renewables, like wind and solar.