Mapping global development potential for renewable energy, fossil fuels, mining and agriculture sectors

Biodiversity Impacts of Land Occupation for Renewable Energy Infrastructure in a Globally Connected World

The transition to renewable energy exacerbates direct land occupation by infrastructure, leading to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. However, biodiversity loss driven by the production and consumption of different renewable energy deployment scenarios remains largely unquantified. Quantifying biodiversity loss associated with land occupation of renewable energy infrastructure is essential for a sustainable energy transition. Here, we developed a novel data set to evaluate renewable energy-related biodiversity loss by considering the current infrastructure setting and future development pathways. We found that the land occupation of renewable energy infrastructure resulted in global biodiversity loss equivalent amounting to 19 × 10-4 global pdf in 2015. Severe biodiversity loss was concentrated primarily in densely populated and economically advanced countries, such as China, the United States, Brazil, India, Australia, Russia, and countries across Western Europe. International trade accounted for 14% of the biodiversity loss. Future renewable energy transition scenarios will lead to a global cumulative biodiversity loss of 1.2 × 10-2-2.2 × 10-2 global pdf during 2015-2060. By 2060, ambitious energy transition policies are projected to increase the biodiversity loss by 1.7-1.8 times. The results underscore that while renewable energy could tackle climate change, its deployment should avoid encroaching on biodiversity hotspots.

Balancing economic growth and environmental conservation through the optimization of rail transit routes for sustainable development

Drawing from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study offers a framework for optimizing rail transit routes, balancing economic benefits with environmental preservation. Using the Bivariate Choropleth-Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (BC-MCDA) model, we categorize global regions into economic benefit, environmental conservation, high-conflict, and low-conflict zones. Specifically, 7.42% are identified as economic benefit zones, suitable for rail transit expansion with minimal environmental impact. Meanwhile, 16.14% are environmental conservation zones, requiring preservation and 76% are low-conflict zones, where maintaining existing land use is advised. Only 0.62% are high-conflict zones, demanding careful planning. Addressing how to utilize land more effectively and sustainably in transportation development to foster economic growth while avoiding harm to biodiversity and ecosystems, this study provides actionable insights. It advances sustainable transportation planning by integrating environmental and economic considerations, offering practical guidance for aligning infrastructure projects with global sustainability goals.

Locating the suitable large-scale solar farms in China's deserts with environmental considerations

Desert areas offer rich solar resources and low land use costs, ideal for large-scale new energy development. However, desert ecosystems are fragile, and large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power facilities pose ecological risks. Current assessments of PV plant sites in deserts lack consideration of wind-sand hazards and ecological impacts. In this study, we have developed a new large-scale photovoltaic (PV) site selection model that integrates the analytic hierarchy process with geographic information system technology, and applies it to the desert regions of China. The results show that the potential for large-scale PV power plants in China's deserts is significant, with 69.4 % of the region assessed as medium or higher. The most suitable area is 12.7 × 104 km2 (7.6 % of the overall study area), mainly centered in the Tibetan Plateau's Qaidam Basin Desert and the deserts of northern China, characterized by favorable solar resources, climate, and terrain. Across all regions, gravel deserts are recognized as more suitable for the construction of large-scale PV power projects than sandy deserts. Considering varying PV installation density scenarios with an installed capacity potential of 36.4-84.9 TW and system costs ranging from 10.0 to 33.5 trillion USD, the study estimates an annual solar power generation potential of 47-110 PWh which is 1.7-3.9 times the global electricity demand. Carbon emissions could be reduced by 26.8-62.6 gigatons annually, offsetting 73-170 % of global emissions. Covering just 4.8-11.5 % of China's desert area (8 × 104-19.4 × 104 km2) would meet the projected 2025 electricity needs of the country. This study lays the groundwork for spatial planning and benefit assessment of large-scale PV projects in desert regions, and reduces conflicts between PV plant construction and local ecosystem.

Mapping global land conversion pressure to support conservation planning

Proactively identifying where land conversion might occur is critical to targeted and effective conservation planning. Previous efforts to map future habitat loss have largely focused on forested systems and have been limited in their consideration of drivers of loss. We developed a 1-km resolution, global map of land conversion pressure from multiple drivers, referred to as the conversion pressure index (CPI). The CPI combines past rates of anthropogenic change, as measured by temporal human modification maps, with suitability maps for potential future expansion by large-scale development. The CPI thus offers a new way to measure a cumulative gradient of anthropogenic pressure as opposed to categorical land cover change. We find that nearly 23% of land across 200 countries have relatively high conversion pressure, potentially impacting over 460 million ha of intact natural lands. We illustrate how this information can be used to identify areas for proactive conservation to avoid future loss and ensure that national commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity and Paris Agreement Climate Frameworks are upheld.

Mapping the planet's critical areas for biodiversity and nature's contributions to people

Meeting global commitments to conservation, climate, and sustainable development requires consideration of synergies and tradeoffs among targets. We evaluate the spatial congruence of ecosystems providing globally high levels of nature's contributions to people, biodiversity, and areas with high development potential across several sectors. We find that conserving approximately half of global land area through protection or sustainable management could provide 90% of the current levels of ten of nature's contributions to people and meet minimum representation targets for 26,709 terrestrial vertebrate species. This finding supports recent commitments by national governments under the Global Biodiversity Framework to conserve at least 30% of global lands and waters, and proposals to conserve half of the Earth. More than one-third of areas required for conserving nature's contributions to people and species are also highly suitable for agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining, or urban expansion. This indicates potential conflicts among conservation, climate and development goals.

Global transcontinental power pools for low-carbon electricity

The transition to low-carbon electricity is crucial for meeting global climate goals. However, given the uneven spatial distribution and temporal variability of renewable resources, balancing the supply and demand of electricity will be challenging when relying on close to 100% shares of renewable energy. Here, we use an electricity planning model with hourly supply-demand projections and high-resolution renewable resource maps, to examine whether transcontinental power pools reliably meet the growing global demand for renewable electricity and reduce the system cost. If all suitable sites for renewable energy are available for development, transcontinental trade in electricity reduces the annual system cost of electricity in 2050 by 5-52% across six transcontinental power pools compared to no electricity trade. Under land constraints, if only the global top 10% of suitable renewable energy sites are available, then without international trade, renewables are unable to meet 12% of global demand in 2050. Introducing transcontinental power pools with the same land constraints, however, enables renewables to meet 100% of future electricity demand, while also reducing costs by up to 23% across power pools. Our results highlight the benefits of expanding regional transmission networks in highly decarbonized but land-constrained future electricity systems.

Catalyzing success in community-based conservation

Efforts to devolve rights and engage Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation have increased the demand for evidence of the efficacy of community-based conservation (CBC) and insights into what enables its success. We examined the human well-being and environmental outcomes of a diverse set of 128 CBC projects. Over 80% of CBC projects had some positive human well-being or environmental outcomes, although just 32% achieved positive outcomes for both (i.e., combined success). We coded 57 total national-, community-, and project-level variables and controls from this set, performed random forest classification to identify the variables most important to combined success, and calculated accumulated local effects to describe their individual influence on the probability of achieving it. The best predictors of combined success were 17 variables suggestive of various recommendations and opportunities for conservation practitioners related to national contexts, community characteristics, and the implementation of various strategies and interventions informed by existing CBC frameworks. Specifically, CBC projects had higher probabilities of combined success when they occurred in national contexts supportive of local governance, confronted challenges to collective action, promoted economic diversification, and invested in various capacity-building efforts. Our results provide important insights into how to encourage greater success in CBC.

Unveiling the impacts of geothermal energy growth on food security in EU27 region: an empirical analysis

There are many advantages of geothermal energy, as an environmental friend resource. This heat radiation emanating from beneath the earth's surface presents man with good opportunities to harness it and makes a good level of agricultural food production and its processing in the EU region. The primary objective of this research is to examine the impact of geothermal energy on agri-food supply among the 27 European countries (EU27), within the time frame 1990 to 2021. The study adopted the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), and the findings from this study revealed that agri-food supply can increase significantly among the 13 European countries (EU13 emerging economies), leveraging on geothermal energy and economic growth variables than in the EU14 emerged economies. Furthermore, the outcome of this study showed that there could be a significant decrease in the food products coming from agricultural practices among the 13 European countries (EU13 emerging economies), due to an ineffective population density than in EU14 emerged economies. Furthermore, fossil fuel and institutional quality contribute more positively to the agri-food supply in the EU14 emerged economies than in the EU13 emerging economies. This results in an outcome that means that the agri-food supply among the EU13 emerging economies could be greatly boosted by replacing fossil fuel consumption with geothermal energy, and this facilitates the attainment of the European energy goals by the year 2030. Substituting fossil fuels with geothermal will also assist in minimizing the risks of environmental pollution and climate change. All projected calculations were seen as valid in this study, and this was confirmed by the three estimators adopted which are the pooled mean group, the mean group, and the dynamic fixed effect. This study, therefore, recommends that the 27 European countries should lay more emphasis on geothermal energy production as this will help in ensuring food security in the region. Policymakers and other government authorities as well as local and foreign investors should make more investments in geothermal energy resources as this study has proven that this will lead to agri-food security and sustainability. Not only this, it will as well curb the incidence of climate change and environmental pollution.

Does hydropower production influence agriculture industry growth to achieve sustainable development in the EU economies?

There are many advantages of the hydropower industry, as an environmentally friendly resource, and also some challenges that need to be overcome to fully exploit this sustainable and renewable natural resource. The primary objective of this study is to find out the impact of hydropower factors and economic growth on the agriculture industry output among the EU27 nations within the time factor 1990 to 2021. Adopting the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), the findings show a significant positive effect could occur in agriculture industry growth of the European Union (EU13)-emerging economies using hydropower factors than in EU14-emerged economies. On one hand, among additional factors, economic growth and institutional quality contribute more positively to agriculture growth in EU13 economies than in EU14 economies. On the other hand, population density contributes more negatively to agriculture growth in EU13 economies than in EU14 economies. The findings show there can be a positive significant growth increase in the EU13 agriculture industry using fossil fuel output than in EU14 economies. The results show that growth could be sustained in the agricultural industry of the European nations by increasing the level of hydropower production as this will help in attaining sustainable development by the year 2030. This will therefore help in mitigating the effect of climatic changes due to environmental pollution. The projected calculations were seen to be reliable and valid and this was attested to by the three estimators used in the study (pooled mean group, mean group, and dynamic fixed effect). This study recommended that European nations could leverage hydroelectricity to achieve sustainable growth and development. The legislative arms of the government of these European nations should as well show more interest in green energy to achieve security and sustainable development in hydroelectricity production. Decision-makers in the EU nations should buttress more emphasis on sustainable means through which hydropower could be used to attain sustainable irrigation systems for the agriculture industry and thus minimize the demand for fossil fuels and reduce CO2-related emissions in the future tine ahead.

Sustainable development of renewable energy integrated power sector: Trends, environmental impacts, and recent challenges

The continuous growth in overall energy demand and the related environmental impacts play a significant role in the large sustainable and green global energy transition. Moreover, the electrical power sector is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, renewable energy (RE) integration into the power grid has attracted significant economic, environmental, and technical attention in recent years. However, RE can also harm the environment, even though it is deemed less harmful than fossil fuel-based power. It may also cause technical, operational, and social issues. This, in return, more consideration and appropriate precautions should be taken. Given the recent sharp increase in RE utilization and its progressing impact on the world energy sector, evaluating its effect on the environment and sustainable development is limitedly explored and must be investigated. This study aims to discuss the role of RE integration in sustainable development. It provides an up-to-date review of the most recent global trend of various RE integrations into the power sector. The role and impact of this high integration level on the environment and the adverse effects of each RE source are discussed in detail. The recent challenges, including technical and operational challenges (i.e., voltage stability, frequency stability, and power quality), integration policy and standards challenges, RE environmental concerns, resource selection and location, and social challenges towards a sustainable electricity future and grid decarbonization, are comprehensively reviewed, discussed, and analyzed. A review of the literature was conducted from 2010 to 2021. Around 712 articles were classified during this process, and 177 papers were filtered for critical review. The literature analysis showed that RE integration has increased dramatically and has many benefits; however, more attention should be paid to mitigate its harmful impacts and recent challenges appeared. The new challenges resulting from the increasing generation of RE and linking it to the electric grid were listed to allow for future studies to find the appropriate solutions towards green and sustainable energy. Finally, towards a sustainable power system, the paper concludes with recommendations for future research directions.

A global record of annual terrestrial Human Footprint dataset from 2000 to 2018

Human Footprint, the pressure imposed on the eco-environment by changing ecological processes and natural landscapes, is raising worldwide concerns on biodiversity and ecological conservation. Due to the lack of spatiotemporally consistent datasets of Human Footprint over a long temporal span, many relevant studies on this topic have been limited. Here, we mapped the annual dynamics of the global Human Footprint from 2000 to 2018 using eight variables that reflect different aspects of human pressures. The accuracy assessment revealed a good agreement between our mapped results and the previously developed datasets in different years. We found more than two million km2 of wilderness (i.e., regions with Human Footprint values below one) were lost over the past two decades. The biome dominated by mangroves experienced the most significant loss (i.e., above 5%) of wilderness, likely attributed to intensified human activities in coastal areas. The derived annual and spatiotemporally consistent global Human Footprint can be a fundamental dataset for many relevant studies about human activities and natural resources.

Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions

Protected areas and renewable energy generation are critical tools to combat biodiversity loss and climate change, respectively. Over the coming decades, expansion of the protected area network to meet conservation objectives will be occurring alongside rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure to meet climate targets, driving potential conflict for a finite land resource. Renewable energy infrastructure can have negative effects on wildlife, and co-occurrence may mean emissions targets are met at the expense of conservation objectives. Here, we assess current and projected overlaps of wind and solar photovoltaic installations and important conservation areas across nine global regions using spatially explicit wind and solar data and methods for predicting future renewable expansion. We show similar levels of co-occurrence as previous studies but demonstrate that once area is accounted for, previous concerns about overlaps in the Northern Hemisphere may be largely unfounded, although they are high in some biodiverse countries (e.g., Brazil). Future projections of overlap between the two land uses presented here are generally dependent on priority threshold and region and suggest the risk of future conflict can be low. We use the best available data on protected area degradation to corroborate this level of risk. Together, our findings indicate that while conflicts between renewables and protected areas inevitably do occur, renewables represent an important option for decarbonization of the energy sector that would not significantly affect area-based conservation targets if deployed with appropriate policy and regulatory controls.

FAIR Metadata Standards for Low Carbon Energy Research—A Review of Practices and How to Advance

The principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) have been put forward to guide optimal sharing of data. The potential for industrial and social innovation is vast. Domain-specific metadata standards are crucial in this context, but are widely missing in the energy sector. This report provides a collaborative response from the low carbon energy research community for addressing the necessity of advancing FAIR metadata standards. We review and test existing metadata practices in the domain based on a series of community workshops. We reflect the perspectives of energy data stakeholders. The outcome is reported in terms of challenges and elicits recommendations for advancing FAIR metadata standards in the energy domain across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

Incentivizing Innovation: The Causal Role of Government Subsidies on Lithium-Ion Battery Research and Development

Governments design and implement policies to achieve a variety of goals, but perhaps none are as pressing as shifting national economies away from non-renewable fuels and towards more sustainable, environmentally-friendly technologies. To incentivize such transitions, governments provide subsidies to private and public companies to innovate, i.e., to engage in research and development (R&D) to develop those technologies. However, the question of the companies is using government subsidies (GS) to perform R&D and its answer determines the effectiveness of government policies. Consequently, this paper seeks to answer this question through investigating Chinese lithium-ion battery (LiB) firms and the GS they receive through novel usage of information flow (IF). Hausman tests, fixed- and random-effects models confirmed a weak, though positive correlation between GS and R&D as determined by patent output (PO), but interestingly, observations of IF intimated that GS also affected other variables such as net profit (NP) and main business income (MBI). This suggests that firms are being awarded GS for higher PO, but a corresponding increase in R&D and its expected growth in company performance is not occurring. Thus, it is suggested that performance variables other than PO be used as firms may ab (use) this metric to apply for more GS, rather than performing R&D that leads to technological breakthroughs.

Mammals, wildlife trade, and the next global pandemic

Most new infectious diseases emerge when pathogens transfer from animals to humans.^1,2 The suspected origin of the COVID pandemic in a wildlife wet market has resurfaced debates on the role of wildlife trade as a potential source of emerging zoonotic diseases.^3-5 Yet there are no studies quantitatively assessing zoonotic disease risk associated with wildlife trade. Combining data on mammal species hosting zoonotic viruses and mammals known to be in current and future wildlife trade,⁶ we found that one-quarter (26.5%) of the mammals in wildlife trade harbor 75% of known zoonotic viruses, a level much higher than domesticated and non-traded mammals. The traded mammals also harbor distinct compositions of zoonotic viruses and different host reservoirs from non-traded and domesticated mammals. Furthermore, we highlight that primates, ungulates, carnivores, and bats represent significant zoonotic disease risks as they host 132 (58%) of 226 known zoonotic viruses in present wildlife trade, whereas species of bats, rodents, and marsupials represent significant zoonotic disease risks in future wildlife trade. Thus, the risk of carrying zoonotic diseases is not equal for all mammal species in wildlife trade. Overall, our findings strengthen the evidence that wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risks are strongly associated, and that mitigation measures should prioritize species with the highest risk of carrying zoonotic viruses. Curbing the sales of wildlife products and developing principles that support the sustainable and healthy trade of wildlife could be cost-effective investments given the potential risk and consequences of zoonotic outbreaks.

Prioritizing actions: spatial action maps for conservation

Spatial prioritization is a critical step in conservation planning, a process designed to ensure that limited resources are applied in ways that deliver the highest possible returns for biodiversity and human wellbeing. In practice, many spatial prioritizations fall short of their potential by focusing on places rather than actions, and by using data of snapshots of assets or threats rather than estimated impacts. We introduce spatial action mapping as an approach that overcomes these shortfalls. This approach produces a spatially explicit view of where and how much a given conservation action is likely to contribute to achieving stated conservation goals. Through seven case examples, we demonstrate simple to complex versions of how this method can be applied across local to global scales to inform decisions about a wide range of conservation actions and benefits. Spatial action mapping can support major improvements in efficient use of conservation resources and will reach its full potential as the quality of environmental, social, and economic datasets converge and conservation impact evaluations improve.

Hemp-Based Microfluidics

Hemp is a sustainable, recyclable, and high-yield annual crop that can be used to produce textiles, plastics, composites, concrete, fibers, biofuels, bionutrients, and paper. The integration of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) with hemp paper can improve the environmental friendliness and high-throughputness of µPADs. However, there is a lack of sufficient scientific studies exploring the functionality, pros, and cons of hemp as a substrate for µPADs. Herein, we used a desktop pen plotter and commercial markers to pattern hydrophobic barriers on hemp paper, in a single step, in order to characterize the ability of markers to form water-resistant patterns on hemp. In addition, since a higher resolution results in densely packed, cost-effective devices with a minimized need for costly reagents, we examined the smallest and thinnest water-resistant patterns plottable on hemp-based papers. Furthermore, the wicking speed and distance of fluids with different viscosities on Whatman No. 1 and hemp papers were compared. Additionally, the wettability of hemp and Whatman grade 1 paper was compared by measuring their contact angles. Besides, the effects of various channel sizes, as well as the number of branches, on the wicking distance of the channeled hemp paper was studied. The governing equations for the wicking distance on channels with laser-cut and hydrophobic side boundaries are presented and were evaluated with our experimental data, elucidating the applicability of the modified Washburn equation for modeling the wicking distance of fluids on hemp paper-based microfluidic devices. Finally, we validated hemp paper as a substrate for the detection and analysis of the potassium concentration in artificial urine.

Durable Freshwater Protection: A Framework for Establishing and Maintaining Long-Term Protection for Freshwater Ecosystems and the Values They Sustain

Long-term protection is needed to secure threatened freshwater ecosystems and the social and biodiversity values they provide. In the face of existing and future pressures, current approaches to freshwater protection are often inadequate for maintaining ecosystem values into the future. While terrestrial and marine ecosystem protection are well recognized and have area-based protection goals in global conventions, freshwater ecosystem characteristics have remained poorly represented in these goals. Freshwater ecosystems are commonly secondary or unaddressed components of area-based terrestrial protection. The design and management for terrestrial-based protection are generally inadequate for addressing freshwater ecosystem processes and attributes critical for maintaining their natural patterns and the values they provide to people and nature. Given that freshwater-dependent species are declining at a faster rate than marine and terrestrial species, and the reliance and use of freshwater ecosystems by people living around such areas, approaches to protect them must balance the needs of people and nature and accommodate these complexities.

Water-Energy-Nutrients Synergies in the Agrifood Sector: A Circular Economy Framework

Circular economy is emerging as a regenerative concept that minimizes emissions, relies on renewable energy, and eliminates waste based on the design of closed-loop systems and the reuse of materials and resources. The implementation of circular economy practices in resource-consuming agricultural systems is essential for reducing the environmental ramifications of the currently linear systems. As the renewable segment of circular economy, bioeconomy facilitates the production of renewable biological resources (i.e., biomass) that transform into nutrients, bio-based products, and bioenergy. The use of recycled agro-industrial wastewater in agricultural activities (e.g., irrigation) can further foster the circularity of the bio-based systems. In this context, this paper aims to provide a literature review in the field of circular economy for the agrifood sector to enhance resource efficiency by: (i) minimizing the use of natural resources (e.g., water, energy), (ii) decreasing the use of chemical fertilizers, (iii) utilizing bio-based materials (e.g., agricultural/livestock residues), and (iv) reusing wastewater from agrifood operations. The final objective is to investigate any direct or indirect interactions within the water-energy-nutrients nexus. The derived framework of synergetic circular economy interventions in agriculture can act as a basis for developing circular bio-based business models and creating value-added agrifood products.

Disaggregating Population Data and Evaluating the Accuracy of Modeled High-Resolution Population Distribution—The Case Study of Germany

High-resolution population data are a necessary basis for identifying affected regions (e.g., natural disasters, accessibility of social infrastructures) and deriving recommendations for policy and planning, but municipalities are, as in Germany, regularly the smallest available reference unit for data. The article presents a dasymetric-based approach for modeling high-resolution population data based on urban density, dispersion, and land cover/use. In addition to common test statistics like MAE or MAPE, the Gini-coefficient and the local Moran’s I are applied and their added value for accuracy assessment is tested. With data on urban density, a relative deviation between the modeled and actual population of 14.1% is achieved. Data on land cover/use reduces the deviation to 12.4%. With 23.6%, the dispersion measure cannot improve distribution accuracy. Overall, the algorithms perform better for urban than for rural areas. Gini-coefficients show that same spatial concentration patterns are achieved as in the actual population distribution. According to local Moran’s I, there are statistically significant underestimations, especially in the highly-dense inner-urban areas. Overestimates are found in the transition to less urbanized areas and the core areas of peripheral cities. Overall, the additional test statistics can provide important insights into the data, which go beyond common methods for evaluation.

Harmonised global datasets of wind and solar farm locations and power

Energy systems need decarbonisation in order to limit global warming to within safe limits. While global land planners are promising more of the planet's limited space to wind and solar photovoltaic, there is little information on where current infrastructure is located. The majority of recent studies use land suitability for wind and solar, coupled with technical and socioeconomic constraints, as a proxy for actual location data. Here, we address this shortcoming. Using readily accessible OpenStreetMap data we present, to our knowledge, the first global, open-access, harmonised spatial datasets of wind and solar installations. We also include user friendly code to enable users to easily create newer versions of the dataset. Finally, we include first order estimates of power capacities of installations. We anticipate these data will be of widespread interest within global studies of the future potential and trade-offs associated with the global decarbonisation of energy systems.

The Effects of Capital and Energy Subsidies on the Optimal Design of Microgrid Systems

Microgrids constitute an attractive solution for the electrification of areas where grid extension is not technically feasible or prohibitively expensive. In recent years, national governments have implemented various support policies to encourage the deployment of renewable energy systems (RES) and microgrid hybrid-powered systems. A fundamental aspect during the design and disposition of these types of units is the determination of the optimal configuration and sizing of each power generation component. Furthermore, the optimal design of microgrids is strongly dependent on technological parameters, local meteorological conditions, among other factors. In this context, this paper investigates the effects of different policy measures on the optimal configuration of microgrids functioning in islanded mode. A computable model is employed to carry out a set of sensitivity analyses and assess the impact of capital and fuel subsidies on the levelized cost of electricity of various systems. The model employed for this study minimizes the total life cycle costs (TLCC) over the 20-year lifetime of the microgrid project. Besides, as meteorological conditions are crucial parameters to consider while designing microgrids, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the effect of wind speed and solar irradiation on the capacities of each distributed generation units. Our results indicate that capital subsidies, as well as fuel price variations, have a substantial effect on the final design of microgrid systems for rural electrification.

Finding middle ground: Extending conservation beyond wilderness areas

We show that because of methodological improvements, the human modification map detects higher levels of land modification and is more accurate than the human footprint map across the gradient of modification globally. While we agree that protecting the world's least modified lands or wildlands is essential for conservation, we assert that extending conservation actions to better "manage the middle" are urgently needed to ensure healthy functioning ecosystems for people and nature. This article is a commentary on Kennedy et al., 25, 811-826; See also the Commentary on this article by Venter et al., 26, 330-332.

A continuously updated, geospatially rectified database of utility-scale wind turbines in the United States

Over 60,000 utility-scale wind turbines are installed in the United States as of October, 2019, representing over 97 gigawatts of electric power capacity; US wind turbine installations continue to grow at a rapid pace. Yet, until April 2018, no publicly-available, regularly updated data source existed to describe those turbines and their locations. Under a cooperative research and development agreement, analysts from three organizations collaborated to develop and release the United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) - a publicly available, continuously updated, spatially rectified data source of locations and attributes of utility-scale wind turbines in the United States. Technical specifications and wind facility data, incorporated from five sources, undergo rigorous quality control. The location of each turbine is visually verified using high-resolution aerial imagery. The quarterly-updated data are available in a variety of formats, including an interactive web application, comma-separated values (CSV), shapefile, and application programming interface (API). The data are used widely by academic researchers, engineers and developers from wind energy companies, government agencies, planners, educators, and the general public.

Measurement(s)	geographic location • instrument attribute
Technology Type(s)	digital curation
Sample Characteristic - Environment	anthropogenic environment
Sample Characteristic - Location	United States of America

Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.11441310

Renewable Energy and Land Use in India: A Vision to Facilitate Sustainable Development

India has committed to reduce emissions with a goal to increase renewable energy production to 175 gigawatts (GW) by 2022. Achieving this objective will involve rapidly increasing the deployment of solar and wind energy, while at the same time addressing the related challenges of the financing requirements, environment impacts, and power grid integration. Developing energy on lands degraded by human activities rather than placing new infrastructure within natural habitats or areas of high production agriculture would reduce cumulative impacts and minimize land use conflicts. We estimated that converted lands have the potential capacity of 1789 GW across India, which is >10 times the 2022 goals. At the same time, the total land footprint needed to meet India’s 2022 renewable energy target is large, ranging from ~55,000 to 125,000 km2, which is roughly the size of Himachal Pradesh or Chhattisgarh, respectively. If renewable energy is advanced with the singular aim of maximizing resource potential, approximately 6700–11,900 km2 of forest land and 24,100–55,700 km2 of agricultural land could be impacted. Subsidies and incentive programs aimed at promoting low-impact renewable energy deployment and establishing mitigation obligations that raise costs for projects that create land-impacts could improve the public support for renewable energy.