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Abstract
Wyoming is known for its abundance of fossil fuels, and has a significant infrastructure to support the production of these traditional energy resources. With increased demand for more diverse energy sources, a need has emerged to pursue new, innovative energy development approaches. This article describes the application of spatial multicriteria analysis to explore potential for carbon conversion energy facilities in Wyoming. Spatial multicriteria analysis is an important capability of geographic information systems, applying multiple criteria evaluation to place-based problems such as facilities siting. Two cases are presented concerning synthetic gas production—the siting of a small-scale coal gasification facility to support a public–private research partnership, and development of a statewide suitability model for commercialization of high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor technology. Results demonstrate that success and challenges with multicriteria techniques are influenced by the availability of quality geospatial data, accessibility of computational processing resources, and committed engagement and utilization of domain experts.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions helped improve and clarify this article.
Funding
A portion of this research was supported in part by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, via a standard subcontract with the University of Wyoming for unclassified research and development work (Standard Research Contract No. 00127864).
Notes
1 National Park Service lands were also removed.
2 Details on the initial site characteristics and attributes considered by the team are available from the final project report (Idaho National Laboratory Citation2012, Appendix A, 55–57).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jeffrey D. Hamerlinck
JEFFREY D. HAMERLINCK is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Geography and Director of the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include GIScience and planning and resource management.
Scott N. Lieske
SCOTT N. LIESKE is a Research Fellow at the Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include relationships between urban form and costs of public services, planning support systems, and geographic visualization.