Meeting the Challenge of Our Time:
Pathways to a Low-Carbon Future for the Northwest

An Economy-Wide Deep Decarbonization Pathways Study

JUNE 2019

Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest is the first economy-wide analysis to examine decarbonization pathways mapped to the Northwest’s economic and institutional realities. The Clean Energy Transition Institute commissioned this study to understand how Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington could technically and economically achieve a low-carbon economy over the next three decades.

Full Report
Executive Summary
Key Findings
Technical Report

$11.1B

Additional transmission between the Northwest and California reduces the cost of decarbonization by an estimated $11.1 billion in net present value over the 30-year study period (accrued to the combined California and NW region).

96%

Electricity will need to be 96% clean by 2050 and used to heat and cool buildings and power vehicles that currently use fossil fuels.

70%

The carbon intensity of liquid and gas fuels decreases by 70% in 2050.

55%

The share of electricity grows from approximately 23% today to 55% from 2020 to 2050 and total energy demand decreases by 34%, despite a 30% increase in population.
This study is unique in offering a blueprint that broadly frames the opportunities and trade-offs for the Northwest to achieve economy-wide deep decarbonization by 2050.

Key Decarbonization Strategies

1

Energy Efficiency

Reducing energy consumed to provide energy services
2

Clean Electricity

Reducing the emissions intensity of electricity generation
4

Electrification

Switching end uses from fuel to electricity
3

Low-Carbon Fuels

Reducing the emissions intensity of liquid and gaseous fuels
5

Carbon Capture

Capturing CO2 from a facility or removing CO2 from the atmosphere
Additional Resources

Change in Energy Supply and Demand

Overall demand and supply for clean electricity would increase significantly as electrification decreases liquid fuel and gas demand for the transport, building, and industrial sectors. Biofuels and synthetic liquids produced with clean electricity would significantly reduce the carbon intensity of liquid fuels, while synthetic gas would decarbonize pipeline gas. Coal retirement and new renewable energy would decarbonize the electricity supply.
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Illustration of Power-to-X

A major finding of Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest is the crucial role that power-to-X will play in 2040–50 to create synthetic gas or synthetic liquid fuels. Power-to-X is a term that describes a variety of different technologies and processes that enable surplus electric power to be stored or used to produce fuels.
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Deep Decarbonization Strategies

Transitioning the Northwest to a low-carbon energy system relies on five decarbonization strategies: energy efficiency, electricity decarbonization, fuel decarbonization, electrification, and carbon capture.
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Meeting the Challenge Blog Series

Blog
Implementing Deep Decarbonization in the Northwest
"Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest" aims to represent potential energy futures in enough technical detail to be used as blueprints to develop a future of the Northwest’s choosing.
Eileen V. Quigley
8/26/2019
Blog
Deep Decarbonization is Achievable in Northwest
The Clean Energy Transition Institute released Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest on June 5, 2019. This study is the first economy-wide analysis to examine decarbonization pathways...
Eileen V. Quigley
8/19/2019
Blog
Pathways to a Clean Energy Future
The Clean Energy Transition Institute commissioned an economy-wide deep decarbonization pathways study to serve as a blueprint for how Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington might achieve a low-carbon, clean energy economy...
Eileen V. Quigley
8/12/2019
Blog
Deep Decarbonization Study Conclusions
The results of Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest demonstrate the feasibility of Northwest states to achieve deep decarbonization by mid-century, even if we postulate...
Eileen V. Quigley
8/5/2019
Blog
Deep Decarbonization Cost Assessment
The scope of costs in "Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future in the Northwest" is limited to energy system costs, which represent the annual cost of producing, distributing, and consuming energy.
Eileen V. Quigley
7/29/2019
Blog
The Role of Emerging Technologies
A variety of new and emerging technologies will be required to meet electricity demand in the 2040-2050 timeframe. Below is a brief discussion of those that the Northwest deep decarbonization pathways study identified.
Eileen V. Quigley
7/22/2019
Blog
Eight Decarbonization Scenarios
Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest explores multiple pathways for decarbonizing the region’s energy system, while addressing policy questions and potential implementation challenges in ...
Eileen V. Quigley
7/15/2019
Blog
Five Deep Decarbonization Strategies
The deep decarbonization framework for the Northwest deep decarbonization pathways study, Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future for the Northwest centers around five decarbonization strategies ...
Eileen V. Quigley
7/8/2019
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Seattle, WA