Soojin Park

1. A first nuclear power plant entering a liberalized electricity market must recover high fixed costs while its output is constrained by scheduled maintenance and forced outages. Because the offta...

The unreliable electricity supply is a major constraint on industrial production in Myanmar, especially for garment factories, which require a reliable power supply to maintain production. Frequent outages disrupt production schedules, increase operating expense, and force factories to rely on expensive backup generation. This study aims to estimate garment factories’ willingness to pay for improvements in electricity service reliability and to assess whether a rooftop solar PV–grid–diesel hybrid system could provide electricity at a cost compatible with these preferences. To achieve this objective, a discrete choice experiment was conducted with garment factories in the Yangon Region. The estimated marginal willingness to pay was USD 0.00293/kWh for one fewer outage per month, USD 0.01207/kWh for a one-hour reduction, and USD 0.00098/kWh for one additional hour of advance notice. For the largest in-design reliability improvement, one outage per month lasting 0.5 h/event, the WTP-based demand-side affordability benchmark was USD 0.2638/kWh. This benchmark reflects respondents’ stated choices and should not be interpreted as a legal tariff, regulated price, or direct tariff recommendation. The proposed-system LCOE was USD 0.2237/kWh, compared with USD 0.2752/kWh for the current system, although the compatibility margin remained statistically uncertain. The joint-venture administration was preferred to both government and private administration. These findings highlight that the proposed rooftop solar PV–grid–diesel hybrid system may improve industrial electricity reliability, although its economic compatibility remains statistically uncertain.

Persistent disparities in educational, economic, and health outcomes remain a central challenge for researchers and policymakers. There is a critical need to evaluate how these disparities would reduce if we intervened on specific, modifiable factors. Because social disparities are rarely the result of a single event, they must be analyzed as a sequence. This tutorial provides an accessible guide to implement Sequential Causal Decomposition Analysis in R. We walk applied researchers through the entire analytical steps: formulating research questions, drawing causal diagrams, assessing assumptions, selecting appropriate estimators. Then, we demonstrate implementing the analysis in R with a real-world example. The illustrated method offers users the flexibility to choose between the generalized linear model and machine learning approaches, both of which combined with a triply-robust estimator. As a result, both approaches provide a high-level protection to potential model misspecification. We illustrate this workflow with a simulated data based on the HSLS:09.

Achieving Egypt’s 2035 renewable electricity targets presents substantial operational and institutional challenges, compounded by limited electricity trade across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study applies a PLEXOS-based simulation framework that integrates short-term economic dispatch with the Projected Assessment of System Adequacy (PASA) to evaluate the system-level impacts of economically dispatched cross-border interconnections with Saudi Arabia, Libya, Jordan, and Sudan. The analysis also incorporates domestic flexibility measures, including five-minute dispatch, dynamic reserve requirements, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Scenarios with renewable energy penetration levels of up to 50% are assessed using Egypt’s 2023 power system as the baseline. The results demonstrate that transitioning from a static, hourly, standalone operating framework to an integrated flexibility configuration—combining five-minute dispatch, 8 GW of economically dispatched cross-border interconnection capacity, and 8 GWh of BESS—yields substantial system-wide benefits at 50% renewable penetration. Loss-of-Load Probability declines from 96.48% to zero, ensuring full system adequacy, while total operational costs decrease by more than 45%, corresponding to annual savings of approximately USD 1.04 billion. Renewable energy curtailment is reduced by over 98%, enabling nearly 15 TWh of additional clean electricity generation, and CO₂ emissions fall by 11.6 million tons (≈40%). In addition, the operating-reserve shadow price—an indicator of reserve scarcity—declines to near zero, underscoring the effectiveness of coordinated regional dispatch and domestic flexibility in mitigating scarcity conditions. These findings provide robust evidence that integrated operational, temporal, and spatial flexibility can significantly accelerate renewable energy integration while strengthening system adequacy. The proposed framework offers an actionable and scalable blueprint for policy coordination and market reform in Egypt, with broader relevance for emerging power systems across the MENA region.

Myanmar’s electricity supply relies mainly on hydropower and gas-fired generation, yet rural electrification remains limited, with national access at approximately 60%. The National Electrification Plan (NEP) aims for universal access via nationwide grid expansion, but progress in remote areas is constrained by financial limits and suspended external funding. This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of decentralized microgrids as an alternative to conventional grid extension under current budgetary conditions. We integrate a terrain-adjusted MV line-cost model with (i) PLEXOS capacity expansion and chronological dispatch for centralized supply and (ii) HOMER Pro optimization for PV–diesel–battery microgrids. Key indicators include LCOE, NPC, CAPEX, OPEX, reliability (ASAI/max shortage), renewable fraction, and unserved energy. Sensitivity analyses cover diesel, PV, and battery prices, as well as discount rate variations. The results show microgrids are more cost-effective in terrain-constrained regions such as Chin State, particularly when accounting for transmission and delayed generation costs, whereas grid extension remains preferable in flat, accessible regions like Nay Pyi Taw. Diesel price is the dominant cost driver across both regions, while battery cost and discount rate affect Chin State more, and PV cost is critical in Nay Pyi Taw’s solar-rich context. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for rural electrification strategies in Myanmar and other developing countries facing similar financial and infrastructural challenges.

To achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, Thailand has focused on reducing CO₂ emissions in the energy sector. Small modular reactors (SMRs) and renewable energy such as wind and solar represent an interesting alternative for the decarbonization of the energy sector. This study aims to investigate the possibility of establishing a grid-connected hybrid energy system (Grid/Solar PV/Wind Turbine/BESS/SMRs) to fulfill the energy demand of Phuket Island in Thailand and to minimize net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and greenhouse gas (CO₂) emissions. A grid-connected hybrid renewable generation system was simulated using HOMER. Four combinations of grid-connected and renewable energy sources were developed based on the electricity demand and renewable resources available at the site. The simulation results indicate that the most optimal scenario is the Grid/PV/WT/SMR system, which offers a 28% reduction in NPC and LCOE compared to the grid-only system and reduces CO₂ emissions by over 58% compared to the total emissions from the utility grid. The simulation results demonstrate that the grid-connected and hybrid energy system is the most viable option to meet electricity demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Phuket Island.

This study examines the optimal energy mix for industrial complexes by incorporating renewable energy systems, decarbonization strategies, and sector coupling technologies. Using data from the Balan Industrial Complex in Korea, five energy scenarios were evaluated, ranging from conventional systems (Scenario 1) to advanced renewable configurations (Scenario 5). The results show that Scenario 5, which integrates sector coupling systems and decarbonization technologies, is the most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Scenario 5 achieves the lowest Net Present Cost (NPC), and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, an analysis of electricity prices and CO₂ costs from Korea, the United States, and Germany highlights the critical role of regional electricity tariffs and carbon pricing in determining the economic feasibility of energy systems. While renewable setups require higher initial investments, Scenario 5 proves to be the most economically viable over time, offering both cost savings and environmental benefits. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry leaders, emphasizing the importance of customized strategies to optimize energy systems in industrial applications.

The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of policies governing the expansion of renewable energy in Mongolia and selected countries. Against the backdrop of global energy transitions and Mongolia’s recent energy challenges, this research aims to identify and evaluate policy frameworks that facilitate the sustainable growth of renewable energy sources. The study delves into the unique socio-economic and geopolitical context of Mongolia, emphasizing the nation’s energy dependence on Russia. The findings of this comparative analysis provide valuable insights for Mongolian policymakers, offering recommendations for enhancing domestic policies that encourage the diversification of energy sources and attract foreign investment. By drawing on successful practices from some countries, this paper aims to contribute to the formulation of effective and context-specific strategies for Mongolia to achieve a more sustainable and resilient energy landscape.