The Renewable Electricity Futures Study (RE Futures) is an initial investigation of the extent to which renewable energy supply can meet the electricity demands of the contiguous United States over the next several decades. This study includes geographic and electric system operation resolution that is unprecedented for long-term studies of the U.S. electric sector. The analysis examines the implications and challenges of renewable electricity generation levels— from 30% up to 90%, with a focus on 80%, of all U.S. electricity generation from renewable technologies—in 2050. At such high levels of renewable electricity penetration, the unique characteristics of some renewable resources, specifically geographical distribution and variability and uncertainty in output, pose challenges to the operability of the U.S. electric system. The study focuses on some key technical implications of this environment, exploring whether the U.S. power system can supply electricity to meet customer demand with high levels of renewable electricity, including variable wind and solar generation. The study also begins to address the potential economic, environmental, and social implications of deploying and integrating high levels of renewable electricity in the United States.
《可再生能源电力展望研究》（以下简称“RE展望”）对满足未来数十年美国本土1 电力需求以及可再生能源发电应达到的水平做了初步调查。研究中包括地理与电力系统运营解决方案，这方面是美国电力部门长期研究项目从未涉及到的。分析讨论了截至2050年，可再生能源发电水平从30%提高到90%的意义以及所面临的挑战，届时，美国80%的电力供应将来自可再生技术。报告同时指出，在可再生能源发电达到如此高水平的情况中，一些可再生能源的独特性，特别是地理分布和电力输出的波动性与不确定性，将会给美国电力系统的可操作性带来挑战。本研究将重点关注在这一背景下的主要技术问题，并探索随着波动性风能和太阳能等可再生能源发电水平的提高，美国电力系统的电力供应能否满足客户需求。此外，本研究还将探讨在美国部署和整合高水平可再生能源发电的经济意义、环境意义以及社会意义。
The United States has diverse and abundant renewable energy resources that are available to contribute higher levels of electricity generation over the next decades. Future renewable electricity generation will be driven in part by federal incentives and renewable portfolio standards mandated in many states.
美国拥有种类繁多、储量丰富的可再生能源，这将有助于其在未来几十年提高可再生能源发电水平。未来美国联邦政府的激励措施，以及各州制定的可再生能源配比标准，将成为推动可再生能源发电的主要因素。
In recent years, variable renewable electricity generation capacity in the United States has increased considerably. Wind capacity, for example, has increased from 2.6 GW in 2000 to 40 GW in 2010, while solar capacity has also begun to grow rapidly.
近几年，美国波动性可再生能源总发电量已有大幅增加。以风力发电为例，风力发电量从2000年的2.6兆瓦增加到2010年的40兆瓦，而太阳能发电量也已经开始快速增加。

译者：阿龙（品格首席综合类英语翻译）

本文由北京翻译公司品格翻译提供，未经允许，不得转载。