Interdependencies

Some of the interdependencies between electric and transportation systems are:

  • the demand that each system has on the other (e.g., transportation causes a demand for energy and the transport of raw energy sources loads the transportation network);
  • existence of parallel paths to satisfy the same demand in the energy system (e.g., coal plant vs. wind), the transportation system (e.g., rail vs. truck) or both (e.g., fuel transportation vs. electric transmission);
  • geographical interdependencies (e.g., sources in different locations or alternative routes);
  • centralized vs. distributed generation;
  • investment on energy and transportation systems and their effect on costs and prices;
  • pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from both transportation use or energy processing;
  • electric storage capability and supply potential created by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and the large-scale development of intermittent resources such as wind and solar;
  • competing, or perhaps complementary, needs for right-of-way (e.g., rail and electric transmission).
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