Nelson brief weighs benefits, challenges of alternative energy technologies

A group of people with their backs to the camera inspect the underside of a row of solar panels that stretches to the horizon. They are standing in green grass and the sky is overcast.

Students discuss agrivoltaics research potential at the O’Brien Solar Fields in Fitchburg, Wis., in 2024.

In addition to slowing climate change, new and alternative sources of energy — including small-scale nuclear generation — could provide an array of social and environmental benefits to Wisconsin, but there are complex trade-offs to consider.

Those are some of the findings of a new Issue Brief from the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies that examines technologies including small-scale nuclear reactors, renewable natural gas (RNG), rooftop solar, and the integration of solar energy and agriculture.

Among the key findings:

Small nuclear reactors can provide cost-effective, on-demand, low-carbon energy to complement renewables in locations with limited or inconsistent wind and solar.
Agrivoltaics integrates solar energy generation and agriculture on the same piece of land, increasing efficiency and sustainability through dual land-use solutions.
RNG produced from solid waste, animal manure, and wastewater could replace less than 10% of Wisconsin's current natural gas consumption, and such projects aren't economically feasible without support from renewable fuel credit programs.
Rooftop solar could meet 15-24% of UW–Madison's campus electricity needs and would offer learning opportunities while advancing sustainability goals.

The authors agreed that successful projects can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify the electricity grid, increase climate resilience, and create economic opportunities for both rural and urban communities.

But each technology presents challenges, such as ensuring projects are supported by local stakeholders and a good fit for the social, economic, and environmental contexts within which they are developed.

The research brief includes contributions from Wisconsin Energy Institute investigators, affiliates, and experts, including Rob Anex, Morgan Edwards, Ben Lindley, and Paul Wilson.

The brief is the second of two Nelson Institute issue briefs on renewable energy. Part one covered utility-scale solar, the health benefits of grid decarbonization, the use of satellite data for renewable energy siting, and community perspectives on the energy transition.