Economic Case for Replacing High-Emitting Peaker Plants with Fuel Cells for Automotive Applications.

Area of Science:

• Energy Systems Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Economics

Background:

• Utilities face challenges replacing high-emitting peaker plants with clean, cost-effective solutions.
• Hydrogen production costs are decreasing, and fuel cells are increasingly available for automotive applications.
• These factors make fuel cells a viable option for zero-emission peak power generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the techno-economics, operation, and environmental justice impacts of a fuel cell peaker plant.
• To assess the feasibility of siting such a plant at the Intermountain Power Plant site.
• To supply peak power to the Los Angeles basin.

Main Methods:

• Techno-economic analysis of fuel cell peaker plants.
• Operational assessment considering the Intermountain Power Plant context.
• Environmental justice impact evaluation.

Main Results:

• Fuel cell peakers are cost-competitive with fossil fuel peakers up to a 17% capacity factor, especially with Inflation Reduction Act incentives.
• The proposed plant would reduce air pollution in environmental justice communities.
• The Intermountain site could potentially host a 5 GW fuel cell peaker with transmission upgrades.

Conclusions:

• Fuel cell peaker plants present a promising solution for clean and cost-effective peak power generation.
• This technology can contribute to a just energy transition by mitigating environmental justice concerns.
• The Intermountain site offers significant potential for large-scale fuel cell peaker deployment.