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• Barriers to Investing in Cogeneration Projects in China. ERI analyzed the risks facing cogeneration developers and the barriers to foreign investment in cogeneration development in China. ERI also identified the key policies and legislation that will influence the future of cogeneration in China, and recommended specific actions that can be taken to address existing barriers.
• Distributed Energy in the Southern States. ERI identified the key barriers to deployment of distributed energy technologies in the Southern U.S. states. ERI revealed many misperceptions about such barriers, prioritized the actual barriers and, by facilitating workshops with important regional stakeholders, developed a vision, strategy and action plan for overcoming those barriers.
• Strategic Plan for Carbon Sequestration and Clean Coal Technologies. ERI identified the key barriers to broader deployment of clean coal technologies, including carbon sequestration, through extensive stakeholder interviews. It revealed many perception-based barriers that can be reduced through strategic education and outreach efforts. ERI designed a detailed action plan for education and outreach to address the barriers and promote deployment.

• Domestic and International Markets for IGCC. ERI thoroughly assessed the international and domestic markets for integrated gasification combine cycle (IGCC) technology. ERI summarized current fossil-fuel applications of gasification technology and identified the likely path of IGCC market adoption, including factors affecting its competitiveness. ERI determined each region and country’s IGCC market potential post-2005. ERI ranked and assessed the countries with the greatest potential for IGCC market penetration.
• International Markets for Renewable Energy Technologies. ERI assessed the potential market for renewable energy technologies in 28 target countries by analyzing over 300 market and resource assessments. Solar/photovoltaic, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, and wind resources were examined. ERI suggested ways to improve future renewable market assessments.
• Issues Affecting Deployment of U.S. Clean Coal Technologies in Indonesia. ERI identified the issues affecting deployment of U.S. clean coal technologies (CCTs) in Indonesia (e.g. high capital cost and perceived lack of operational experience). ERI also found Indonesia to be a potentially key CCT market, and recommended actions to promote U.S. CCT opportunities in Indonesia.

Technology Analysis

ERI provides strategic planning, coordination, analysis and advice on introducing advanced technologies into the commercial marketplace. Recent efforts include the following.

• Analysis of IGCC for U.S. Rural Electric Cooperatives. ERI analyzed the environmental, economic and market issues associated with use of coal-based integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) for three rural U.S. electric cooperatives that are planning capacity additions. ERI analyzed site-specific issues, technology configurations, byproduct options and IGCC competitiveness for each of the three cooperatives.
• Feasibility Study for Plant to Convert Coal to Dimethyl Ether in China. ERI participated in a feasibility study for a plant to convert coal to dimethyl ether (DME) in the Ningxia Autonomous Region of China. ERI performed technical and economic assessments of the markets for the plant’s principal products (DME, methanol and sulfur), and an environmental assessment for the plant.
• Demand Assessment for Air Pollution Control Technologies and Services. ERI assessed the potential demand for air pollution control technologies and services in 10 countries (in Asia and Central/Eastern Europe) that are imposing stricter emission limits for coal-based power plants. For each country, ERI identified power plant configurations, rehabilitation options, and applicable environmental requirements.ERI also estimated the current and potential U.S. pollution-control market opportunities for each country.

Policy Analysis

ERI provides advisory services regarding changes to policies and regulations that may affect the introduction, use and competitiveness of advanced technologies.

• U.S. Policies Affecting Coal and Clean Coal Technology Deployment. ERI analyzed the political and policy factors that are influencing the use of coal for power generation in the U.S. These included RD&D programs for CCTs, incentives for investing in CCTs, and related environmental rules and policies.
• Policies to Promote Clean Cogeneration Development in China. ERI helped develop new guidelines for cogeneration technology selection and use in China. The new guidelines were a departure from China’s traditional rules. ERI and the China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation totally revised the guidelines to encourage cleaner fuels, advanced technologies (domestic and foreign), and market-based decision-making. The Chinese government fully approved and implemented the new guidelines.
• Policy analysis briefs. ERI provides series of briefs on a monthly or bimonthly basis to clients on key policy issues affecting technology deployment. Such briefs have encompassed a broad range of issues, including U.S. global climate change policy developments, multi-pollutant control proposals, and state and federal air quality regulatory changes. ERI’s policy briefs highlight key recent developments, clarify the context for understanding such developments, and identify their strategic implications and importance.