Firm VRE Power generation in an All-Electric Grid The Case of Nova Scotia, Canada

This article builds upon a preliminary evaluation of firm variable renewable power generation solutions for the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. This showed that an optimized blend of variable renewable resources (VREs), battery storage (BESS), implicit storage (i.e., overbuilt and dynamically curtailed VREs) and small fraction of dispatchable e-fuel thermal generation could firmly meet the entire load requirements of the province 24/365 at an unsubsidized cost of 7.7 ¢/kWh in 2025 and at an anticipated cost of 4.5 ¢/kWh in 2050. This preliminary study considered no change in future provincial load size or shape. We present here the results of an enhanced, more robust evaluation that: (1) considers future (2050) load requirements transformed by a complete electrification of the province’s building and transportation sectors, (2) evaluates interconnection options with other Canadian provinces within existing energy and capacity allowances, and (3) provides a sensitivity analysis on the impact of future BESS capital and operational cost assumptions.