Analyze Multi-State Cooperation for Clean Power Plan Compliance with CP3T

March 18, 2015

The EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan allows states the flexibility to collaborate with each other to develop plans on a multi-state basis to meet compliance targets. For example, states with more renewable energy potential could band together with states with less renewable potential to more efficiently achieve compliance by trading bundled or unbundled RECs and by jointly planning to develop renewable resources. State agencies and advocates examining such opportunities for cooperation can use Synapse’s Clean Power Planning Tool (CP3T), now with multi-state functionality, to analyze the challenges and opportunities associated with regional compliance.

Today, Synapse released the latest version of CP3T, an Excel-based spreadsheet tool for performing first-pass planning of compliance with EPA's Clean Power Plan. The tool is based on the unit-specific data assembled by EPA to create its “building blocks” for target-setting and compliance. CP3T users can adjust fossil unit capacity factors, renewable energy and energy efficiency projections, unit retirements, and 111(b) unit additions for each state in the chosen group of states. Users can then compare differences in generation, capacity, emissions, emission rates, and costs across created scenarios and EPA’s base case.