DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6601790
title: GRIDCERF: Geospatial Raster Input Data for Capacity Expansion Regional Feasibility

description: Meeting increasing future electricity demand in the United States will require extensive and explorative planning due to advancing climatic, socioeconomic, and decarbonization policy drivers. Accounting for the response of changes in these drivers on the energy system are made even more complex when considering them in aggregate form with regionally relevant land and technology constraints that narrow where power plants capable of supporting increasing demand will be feasible to operate under uncertain futures. We offer the Geospatial Raster Input Data for Capacity Expansion Regional Feasibility (GRIDCERF) data package as a high-resolution product to readily evaluate siting suitability for renewable and non-renewable power plants in the conterminous United States for alternative energy futures. GRIDCERF provides 269 suitability layers for use with 56 power plant technology configurations in a harmonized format readily ingestible by geospatially-enabled modeling software. GRIDCERF comes equipped with pre-compiled technology-specific suitability layers but also allows for user customization to robustly address science objectives when evaluating varying future conditions. <strong>Contents:</strong> <strong>Common Rasters:</strong> <strong>Suitability Layer</strong> <strong>GRIDCERF Raster Name</strong> Agricultural Research Service Lands<strong><sup>33</sup></strong> gridcerf_ars_lands_2020_conus.tif Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Land Area Representation Dataset<strong><sup>34</sup></strong> cerf_bia_tribal_lands_2019.tif Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) - National Monuments<strong><sup>35</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_national_monument_2021_conus.tif BLM NLCS - Outstanding Natural Areas<strong><sup>36</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_outstanding_natural_areas_2017_conus.tif BLM NLCS - Trails Historic West<strong><sup>37</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_trails_historic_west_buff_1km_2019_conus.tif BLM NLCS System - Trails Scenic East<strong><sup>37</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_trails_scenic_east_buff_1km_2019_conus.tif BLM NLCS System – Wilderness<strong><sup>38</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_wilderness_2021_conus.tif BLM NLCS - Wilderness Study Areas<strong><sup>38</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_nlcs_wilderness_study_areas_2021_conus.tif BLM NLCS - Scenic Rivers<strong><sup>39</sup></strong> gridcerf_blm_scenic_rivers_1km_2009_conus.tif National Park Service (NPS) Class 1 airsheds<strong><sup>40</sup></strong> gridcerf_class1_airsheds_2015_conus.tif BLM NLCS National Conservation Areas<strong><sup>35</sup></strong> gridcerf_cons_monu_desig_2021_conus.tif U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - Critical Habitat<strong><sup>41</sup></strong> gridcerf_fws_critical_habitat_2019_conus.tif USFWS - Land Interests<strong><sup>42</sup></strong> gridcerf_fws_land_interests_2019_conus.tif USFWS - Lands<strong><sup>43</sup></strong> gridcerf_fws_lands_2021_conus.tif USFWS - National Wildlife Refuges<strong><sup>42</sup></strong> gridcerf_fws_national_wildlife_refuges_2019_conus.tif USFWS - Special Designation<strong><sup>42</sup></strong> gridcerf_fws_special_designation_2019_conus.tif National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) Wetlands<strong><sup>44</sup></strong> gridcerf_nlcd_wetlands_1km_2019_conus.tif NPS Administrative Boundaries<strong><sup>45</sup></strong> gridcerf_nps_administrative_boundaries_2020_conus.tif NPS Lands<strong><sup>46</sup></strong> gridcerf_nps_lands_2019_conus.tif BLM NLCS - Wild & Scenic Rivers<strong><sup>39</sup></strong> gridcerf_nwrs_buff_1km_2021_conus.tif U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Administrative Boundaries<strong><sup>47</sup></strong> gridcerf_usfs_administrative_boundaries_2021_conus.tif USFS lands<strong><sup>43</sup></strong> gridcerf_usfs_lands_2021_conus.tif U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wilderness Lands<strong><sup>48</sup></strong> gridcerf_wilderness_lands_2021_conus.tif USGS Protected Areas of the U.S - Class 1&2<strong><sup>49</sup></strong> gridcerf_usgs_padus_class_1_to_2_2018_conus.tif U.S. State Protected Lands<strong><sup>50</sup></strong> gridcerf_wdpa_state_protected_lands_2021_conus.tif Nature Conservancy lands<strong><sup>51</sup></strong> gridcerf_wdpa_tnc_managed_lands_2016_conus.tif USFS Wilderness Areas<strong><sup>52</sup></strong> gridcerf_usfs_wilderness_ares_2015_conus.tif <strong>Technology-specific Rasters:</strong> <strong>Suitability Layer</strong> <strong>GRIDCERF Raster Name</strong> Slope 10% or less suitable<strong><sup>22</sup></strong> gridcerf_srtm_slope_5pct_or_less.tif Slope 10% or less suitable<strong><sup>22</sup></strong> gridcerf_srtm_slope_10pct_or_less.tif Slope 12% or less suitable<strong><sup>22</sup></strong> gridcerf_srtm_slope_12pct_or_less.tif Slope 20% or less suitable<strong><sup>22</sup></strong> gridcerf_srtm_slope_20pct_or_less.tif Airports (10-mile buffer)<strong><sup>53</sup></strong> gridcerf_airports_10mi_buffer_conus.tif Airports (3-mile buffer)<strong><sup>53</sup></strong> gridcerf_airports_3mi_buffer_conus.tif Proximity to Railroad and Navigable Waters (&lt; 5 km)<strong><sup>54,55</sup></strong> gridcerf_railnodes5km_navwaters5km_conus.tif Coal Supply<strong><sup>54–56</sup></strong> gridcerf_coalmines20km_railnodes5km_navwaters5km_conus.tif NTAD CO Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_co_1km_2013_conus.tif NTAD NOx Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_nox_1km_2013_conus.tif NTAD Ozone Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_ozone_1km_2018_conus.tif NTAD Lead Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_pb_1km_2017_conus.tif NTAD PM10 Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_pm10_1km_2013_conus.tif NTAD PM2.5 Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_pm25_1km_2016_conus.tif NTAD SOx Non-attainment Areas<strong><sup>57</sup></strong> gridcerf_naa_sox_1km_2021_conus.tif Earthquake Potential<strong><sup>58</sup></strong> gridcerf_earthquake_pga_0.3g_at_2pct_in_50yrs_2016_conus.tif Densely population areas<strong><sup>12</sup></strong> gridcerf_densely_populated_ssp[2,3,5]_[year].tif Densely population areas buffered by 25 miles<strong><sup>12</sup></strong> gridcerf_densely_populated_ssp[2,3,5]_[year]_buff25mi.tif Densely population areas – nuclear<strong><sup>12</sup></strong> gridcerf_densely_populated_ssp[2,3,5]_[year]_nuclear.tif National Hydrography Dataset (version 2; NHDv2)<strong><sup>32</sup></strong> gridcerf_nhd2plus_surfaceflow_greaterthan[bin]mgd_buffer20km.tif <strong>Compiled Technology Rasters:</strong> <strong>Technology Level 1</strong> <strong>Technology Level 2</strong> <strong>Technology Level 3</strong> <strong>Technology Level 4</strong> <strong>GRIDCERF Raster Name</strong> Biomass Conventional With Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Dry cooling gridcerf_biomass_conventional_ccs_dry.tif Biomass Conventional With CCS Once through gridcerf_biomass_conventional_ccs_oncethrough.tif Biomass Conventional With CCS Recirculating gridcerf_biomass_conventional_ccs_recirculating.tif Biomass Conventional Without CCS Cooling pond gridcerf_biomass_conventional_no-ccs_pond.tif Biomass Conventional Without CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_biomass_conventional_no-ccs_dry.tif Biomass Conventional Without CCS Once through gridcerf_biomass_conventional_no-ccs_oncethrough.tif Biomass Conventional Without CCS Recirculating gridcerf_biomass_conventional_no-ccs_recirculating.tif Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) With CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_biomass_igcc_with-ccs_dry.tif Biomass IGCC With CCS Once through gridcerf_biomass_igcc_with-ccs_oncethrough.tif Biomass IGCC With CCS Recirculating gridcerf_biomass_igcc_with-ccs_recirculating.tif Biomass IGCC Without CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_biomass_igcc_no-ccs_dry.tif Biomass IGCC Without CCS Once through gridcerf_biomass_igcc_no-ccs_oncethrough.tif Biomass IGCC Without CCS Recirculating gridcerf_biomass_igcc_no-ccs_recirculating.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized With CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_coal_conventional_ccs_dry.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized With CCS Once through gridcerf_coal_conventional_ccs_oncethrough.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized With CCS Recirculating gridcerf_coal_conventional_ccs_recirculating.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized Without CCS Cooling pond gridcerf_coal_conventional_no-ccs_pond.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized Without CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_coal_conventional_no-ccs_dry.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized Without CCS Once through gridcerf_coal_conventional_no-ccs_oncethrough.tif Coal Conventional Pulverized Without CCS Recirculating gridcerf_coal_conventional_no-ccs_recirculating.tif Coal IGCC With CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_coal_igcc_with-ccs_dry.tif Coal IGCC With CCS Once through gridcerf_coal_igcc_with-ccs_oncethrough.tif Coal IGCC With CCS Recirculating gridcerf_coal_igcc_with-ccs_recirculating.tif Coal IGCC Without CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_coal_igcc_no-ccs_dry.tif Coal IGCC Without CCS Once through gridcerf_coal_igcc_no-ccs_oncethrough.tif Coal IGCC Without CCS Recirculating gridcerf_coal_igcc_no-ccs_recirculating.tif Gas Combined Cycle (CC) With CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_gas_cc_ccs_dry.tif Gas CC With CCS Once through gridcerf_gas_cc_ccs_oncethrough.tif Gas CC With CCS Recirculating gridcerf_gas_cc_ccs_recirculating.tif Gas CC Without CCS Cooling pond gridcerf_gas_cc_no-ccs_pond.tif Gas CC Without CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_gas_cc_no-ccs_dry.tif Gas CC Without CCS Once through gridcerf_gas_cc_no-ccs_oncethrough.tif Gas CC Without CCS Recirculating gridcerf_gas_cc_no-ccs_recirculating.tif Gas Combustion Turbine (CT) N/A Cooling pond gridcerf_gas_turbine_pond.tif Gas CT N/A Dry cooling gridcerf_gas_turbine_dry.tif Gas CT N/A Once through gridcerf_gas_turbine_oncethrough.tif Gas CT N/A Recirculating gridcerf_gas_turbine_recirculating.tif Nuclear Gen III N/A Cooling pond gridcerf_nuclear_gen3_pond.tif Nuclear Gen III N/A Once through gridcerf_nuclear_gen3_oncethrough.tif Nuclear Gen III N/A Recirculating gridcerf_nuclear_gen3_recirculating.tif Refined liquids CC With CCS Dry cooling gridcerf_refinedliquid