Using the Texas Interactive Power Simulator for direct instruction

Establishing a reliable and sustainable electricity supply is a difficult challenge. Unfortunately, discussions on this topic include wide varieties of misinformation, subjective analysis, and biased resources. The Texas Interactive Power Simulator (TIPS) provides an educational tool for direct instruction and informing public policy decisions by providing an interactive teaching and learning environment with objective instruction about the tradeoffs of electricity generation choices in Texas. The simulator is presented in a web-based, interactive format to provide easy access for the target user groups. Target groups include policy decision makers, government employees, educators, students, and the general public. The Texas Interactive Power Simulator gives educators the ability to quantitatively compare the economic costs and environmental impacts of electricity production methods according to fuel source (i.e. coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, sun, water). Each electricity production method is evaluated in terms of its direct cost and indirect impacts. Direct costs include the costs of new capacity, fuel, facility operation, and facility maintenance. Indirect impacts include air emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. Also included are water consumption rates and land requirements for new facilities. The analytical framework and source data provide quantitative measures by which each generation type is compared. Data are collected from government reports and peer reviewed technical literature and are updated frequently as costs change frequently. The simulator’s interactive interface allows the user to set a desired mix of fuels according to the percentage breakdown of electricity production. Based on these inputs, TIPS determines the overall direct costs and indirect impacts of a unit of electricity according to the costs associated with each fuel type. These measures provide students, policy makers, and other users with transparent and unbiased methods for understanding basic tradeoffs that emerge from different fuel mixes. TIPS also provides a level of basic education on electricity generation. Beyond cost and environmental impact information, the Texas Interactive Power Simulator generates graphs, charts, and pictograms to effectively communicate the differences between electricity production methods via the unique characteristics of each. These educational lessons can apply to many electricity markets and provide an introduction for those who wish to become proficient in the field. Portions of the TIPS website are specifically designed for classroom use regarding the topic of electricity production in Texas. However, the simulator’s flexible framework lends itself to easy expansion to cover the fuel mix for other regions, including the entire US and world markets.