Exploring the impact of technology development and adoption for sustainable hydroelectric power and storage technologies in the Pacific Northwest United States

A wide range of literature streams and methods were examined for this research, including sustainability, integrated resource planning, and construction of portfolios of electricity generation technologies. The research then focused on current and emerging HPSTs (hydropower generation and storage technologies), and technical, economic, social, and environmental sustainability objectives associated with those technologies in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) region of the United States. Candidate technologies obtained from the literature were examined using the Delphi Method, and then rated according to their perceived impacts using the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). GP (Goal Programming) was then used to determine an optimal mix of technologies to achieve sustainability objectives, using these weightings and assumptions related to specific scenarios regarding technology development, adoption, and availability. This research is important because few previous studies have systematically considered multiple objectives and criteria from multiple stakeholder experts for creating portfolios of sustainable electricity generation technologies. Previous research has also not comprehensively investigated the manner in which changing scenarios of technology development and availability rates may lead to various technological, economic, environmental, and social sustainability impacts with regard to planning of regional electrical generation and storage systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.