
The models Maravelias aims to develop will build on the energy systems modeling done in Princeton’s Net-Zero America research by considering aspects such as supply-chain constraints, labor shortages, the impacts of climate change on energy infrastructure, and others. (stock.adobe.com)
Current approaches to cutting carbon emissions too often favor low-cost options while overlooking risks that could cause failures or ballooning costs later, says scholar Christos Maravelias, who specializes in optimizing systems under varied and changing conditions. The Andlinger Center has awarded Maravelias and colleagues its grant for Innovative Research in Energy and the Environment to develop new energy system models that account for both cost and risk. The project aims to provide energy system planners, government agencies, industry leaders, and other decision-makers with open-access online tools to help develop blueprints that factor in the benefits of minimizing project risk.