Kathleen Vaillancourt

Environmental site evaluation of waste management facilities embedded into EUGENE model: A multicriteria approach

Abstract EUGENE is a sophisticated mixed integer linear programming model developed to help regional decision makers on long-term planning for solid waste management activities. The model removes almost every limitations encountered in other waste management models and contains a large quantity of variables and constraints. The method used to embed waste management environmental parameters in the EUGENE model consists in building global impact index (GII) for all site/facility combinations. First, an environmental and spatial evaluation of waste management facilities over sites is based on qualitative and quantitative criteria measuring biophysical and social impacts. Spatial analysis is carried out by geographical information system routines. Then, a multicriteria analysis ranks all site/facility combinations, according to their global performance based on all criteria. The net flow, computed by the PROMETHEE multicriteria outranking method, is considered as a GII to be embedded into EUGENE. The model objective function is thus modified to minimize total system cost and GII. Some practical results obtained for the City of Montreal are discussed.

Equity in international greenhouse gases abatement scenarios: A multicriteria approach

Abstract The climate change problem involves long-term global efforts through sustainable development. The international burden sharing of greenhouse gases (GHG) abatement constitutes a controversial debate. Equity is an important issue to be considered in the mitigation policies to insure the participation of as many developing countries as possible. The main purpose of this research is to allocate equitable international GHG emission entitlements using several criteria. There are many equity definitions and some are conflicting. A dynamical multicriterion method is proposed to compare various alternatives and to find a compromise solution. If the decision-making process can take into account interests and preoccupations of every country, significant progress could be made to achieve a world consensus. Several burden sharing schemes are proposed. Then, modeling abatement scenarios using the TIMES world energy model will allow us to determine the cost-effectiveness opportunities.

A decision aid tool for equity issues analysis in emission permit allocations

Abstract In the long term, the Kyoto Protocol will be insufficient to stabilize the greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere; quantified commitments will also be essential for major developing countries (and the US). International cooperation mechanisms, such as permit trading systems, can help achieve global economic efficiency. However, the initial allocation of emission permits raises many debates on equity. The main objective is to propose a decision aid tool for decision makers, which is capable of providing relevant information on various equitable permit allocation schemes and burden sharing. A dynamic multicriteria model is proposed to share the global quantity of permits among 15 regions, taking into account multiple definitions of equity and regional interests. The World-MARKAL energy model is used to compute the gross reduction cost (before permit exchanges) for each region. Afterward, it is possible to calculate their net reduction costs (after permit exchanges) according to different allocation schemes. A realistic simulation of the tool provides examples of results, i.e. ranges of permit allocations and net costs for each region. Finally, some recommendations are proposed to policy makers to design a decision process adapted to the global context of negotiations.

The World-Markal Model and Its Application to Cost-Effectiveness, Permit Sharing, and Cost-Benefit Analyses

In this article, we present the new multiregional global MARKAL-TIMES1 model and on several recent applications to global energy-environment issues. The development of the model was motivated by the need to analyze international energy and environmental issues such as climate change, using a detailed, technology rich modeling framework. We then present three different types of application. First, the model is applied to conduct the cost-effectiveness analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission abatement, whereby constraints on CO2 emissions are added to the base case formulation. The model then computes the cost-efficient response of the energy system to these emission targets. Second, we address the issue of “who pays”’ for emission reductions (whereas the cost-effictiveness analysis addressed the “who acts” issue). More precisely, we use the model to devise and evaluate certain allocation rules for attributing initial emission rights to regions in a cap-and-trade system. Third, we use World MARKAL in a cost-benefit mode, i.e. we augment the model with damage costs resulting from climate change, and run the integrated model without any pre-set targets on emissions or concentration. We then analyse cooperative and non-cooperative decisions by regions when confronted to the threat of damages. This last application makes systematic use of game theoretic concepts.

Integrating Energy System Models in Life Cycle Management

The energy supply chain is the backbone of industrialised societies, but it is also one of the leading causes of global environmental burden. Life cycle management (LCM) and life cycle assessment (LCA) are increasingly being used in combination with energy system optimisation models (ESOM) to better represent the energy sector and its dynamics, and facilitate better decision-making. The integration of ESOM and LCA can enable powerful analyses, but not without difficulties. In this chapter, we review studies linking a well-known bottom-up ESOM (TIMES) with LCA databases and identify the principal challenges and how they have been addressed. One of the main integration challenges is the identification of equivalent processes between life cycle inventories and ESOM databases: the mapping problem. Other concomitant issues such as double counting and parameter consistency have been identified and are also investigated.

The Canadian Contribution to Limiting Global Warming Below 2 °C: An Analysis of Technological Options and Regional Cooperation

Canada committed to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, and by 70–90% below 2005 levels by 2050. These challenging commitments require special consideration of the energy sector in Canada. The main objective of this chapter is to identify different decarbonization pathways that would allow Canada to participate in global mitigation efforts to prevent climate changes. We analyze four GHG mitigation scenarios with increasing levels of mitigation efforts for 2050 using the NATEM regional optimization model. The main transformations in the energy system include significant energy conservation and efficiency improvements, greater penetration of electricity in all end-use sectors (up to 64% of total consumption in 2050), as well as an important increased use of bioenergy in 2050. On the supply side, this translates into a rapid decarbonization of electricity production and a shift away from fossil fuel production and imports. In addition, our results show that Canada would benefit from achieving greater cooperation between jurisdictions because of the large diversity in the composition of regional energy systems. Finally, this application demonstrates the merits of using a comprehensive optimization model for identifying the best mitigation options for achieving the national contribution to international agreement while taking into account regional particularities.

An Analysis of the Impacts of New Oil Pipeline Projects on the Canadian Energy Sector with a TIMES Model for Canada

The oil industry currently plays a major role in the Canadian economy. In the future, further developments of the oil sector will be affected by the ability to transport crude oil (mainly from Western Canada) to consuming regions in Canada and abroad. This chapter analyzes different crude oil exportation scenarios based on existing pipeline expansions and the development of new pipelines. We use for this a multi-regional TIMES energy model for Canada. Our results indicate that: (i) the exporting capacity will be an important driver for oil production levels in Canada, and (ii) impacts on the other Canadian energy sectors are rather limited.