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Energy and Environment Directorate

Robert Dahowski

Building Performance
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 372-4574

Biography

Mr. Dahowski joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1993. Since that time he has led and contributed to energy and environmental systems analyses for a variety of government agencies as well as private industrial clients. Working closely with colleagues at the Joint Global Change Research Institute as well as others around the globe, Mr. Dahowski has been examining deployment potential for carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies and their impact on stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. He performs geospatial economic assessments to quantify the value and potential of advanced energy technologies including CCS, and has recently completed a major analysis for the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, developing cost curves for carbon dioxide storage for North America.

Mr. Dahowski is experienced in model development and analysis in the areas of energy efficiency, emissions, and carbon management and has led the creation and continued development of the copyrighted Battelle CO2-GIS, the first geospatial economic model for examining the deployment of CCS systems in North America. He is also co-developer of the Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) software, a unique and powerful building energy efficiency assessment model.

Highlighted Publications

Regional Opportunities for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in China

Research Interests

  • Carbon management analysis
  • Energy and environmental systems analysis
  • Geospatial analysis with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Model development, application, and training

Education and Credentials

  • M.S., Environmental Engineering, Washington State University
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University

PNNL Publications

2013

  • Dahowski RT, and JA Dirks. 2013. Streamlining and Refining FEDS Loads Models - Final Report. PNNL-22202, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Wei N, X Li, Y Wang, RT Dahowski, CL Davidson, and G Bromhal. 2013. "A preliminary sub-basin scale evaluation framework of site suitability for onshore aquifer-based CO2 storage in China." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 12:231-246.  doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.10.012

2012

  • Dahowski RT, CL Davidson, X Li, and N Wei. 2012. "A $70/tCO2 greenhouse gas mitigation backstop for China's industrial and electric power sectors: insights from a comprehensive CCS cost curve." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 11:73-85.  doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.07.024

2011

  • Davidson CL, RT Dahowski, and JJ Dooley. 2011. "A quantitative comparison of the cost of employing EOR-coupled CSS supplemented with secondary DSF storage for two large CO2 point sources." In 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, September 19-23, 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Energy Procedia, vol. 4, ed. J Gale, C Hendricks and W Turkenberg, pp. 2361-2368.  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.02.128
  • Dahowski RT, CL Davidson, and JJ Dooley. 2011. "Comparing large scale CCS deployment potential in the USA and China: a detailed analysis based on country-specific CO2 transport & storage cost curves." In 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, September 19-23, 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Energy Procedia, vol. 4, ed. J Gale, C Hendriks and W Turkenberg, pp. 2732-2739.  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.02.175

2010

2009

  • Davidson CL, JJ Dooley, and RT Dahowski. 2009. "Assessing the impacts of future demand for saline groundwater on commercial deployment of CCS in the United States." In Energy Procedia: 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Contorol Technologies (GHGT9), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1949-1956.  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.254
  • Dahowski RT, X Li, CL Davidson, N Wei, and JJ Dooley. 2009. Regional Opportunities for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in China: A Comprehensive CO2 Storage Cost Curve and Analysis of the Potential for Large Scale Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in the People's Republic of China. PNNL-19091, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Dahowski RT, X Li, CL Davidson, N Wei, JJ Dooley, and R Gentile. 2009. "A Preliminary Cost Curve Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Potential in China." In Energy Procedia: 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Contorol Technologies (GHGT9), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 2849-2856.  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.02.058
  • Dooley JJ, CL Davidson, and RT Dahowski. 2009. An Assessment of the Commercial Availability of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies as of June 2009. PNNL-18520, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2009. "Comparing Existing Pipeline Networks with the Potential Scale of Future U.S. CO2 Pipeline Networks." In Energy Procedia: 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Contorol Technologies (GHGT9), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1595-1602.  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.209
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2009. "The Potential for Increased Atmospheric CO2 Emissions and Accelerated Consumption of Deep Geologic CO2 Storage Resources Resulting from the Large-Scale Deployment of a CCS-Enabled Unconventional Fossil Fuels Industry in the U.S." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 3(6):720-730.  doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2009.08.004

2008

  • Dahowski RT, and JJ Dooley. 2008. Source/Sink Matching for U.S. Ethanol Plants and Candidate Deep Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Formations. PNNL-17831, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Dahowski RT, X Li, CL Davidson, N Wei, W Chen, F Teng, JJ Dooley, and R Gentile. 2008. "Developing Cost Curves for Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage in China ." In Seventh Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration.  Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Washington, DC. 
  • Dooley JJ, and RT Dahowski. 2008. "Large Scale U.S. Unconventional Fuels Production and the Role of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies in Reducing Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions." In Energy Procedia: 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Contorol Technologies (GHGT9), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 4225-4232 .  Elsevier, London, United Kingdom.  doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.02.233
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2008. On the Long-Term Average Cost of CO2 Transport and Storage. PNNL-17389, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2008. Comparing Existing Pipeline Networks with the Potential Scale of Future U.S. CO2 Pipeline Networks . PNNL-17381, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Parker GB, and RT Dahowski. 2008. "The Elephant in the Room: Dealing with Carbon Emissions from Synthetic Transportation Fuels Production." Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment 28 (1):12-33. 

2007

  • Dahowski RT, and S Bachu. 2007. Assessing the Effect of Timing of Availability for Carbon Dioxide Storage in the Largest Oil and Gas Pools in the Alberta Basin: Description of Data and Methodology . PNNL-16137, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2007. "CCS: A Strategy for Tackling Climate Change." Chapter 4 in Fundamentals of the Global Oil and Gas Industry, 2007, vol. 2007, pp. 67-69.  World Petroleum Council, London, United Kingdom. 
  • Parker GB, and RT Dahowski. 2007. "The Elephant in the Room: Dealing with Carbon Emissions from Synthetic Transportation Fuels Production." In World Energy Engineering Congress - August 15-17, 2007, Atlanta, GA, p. Paper No. 27.  Fairmont Press, Lilburn, GA. 
  • Wise MA, JJ Dooley, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2007. "Modeling the Impacts of Climate Policy on the Deployment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Geologic Storage across Electric Power Regions in the United States." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 1(2):261-270.  doi:10.1016/S1750-5836(07)00017-5
  • Wise MA, JJ Dooley, RT Dahowski, and CL Davidson. 2007. "Modelling the impacts of climate policy on the deployment of carbon dioxide capture and geologic storage across electric power regions in the United States." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 1(2):261-270.  doi:10.1016/S1750-5836(07)00017-5

2004

  • Dahowski RT, and JJ Dooley. 2004. "CARBON MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR U.S. ELECTRICITY GENERATION CAPACITY: A VINTAGE-BASED APPROACH." Energy 29(9-10): 1589-1598. 
  • Dooley JJ, CL Davidson, MA Wise, and RT Dahowski. 2004. "ACCELERATED ADOPTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC UTILITY INDUSTRY: THE IMPACT OF STABILIZING AT 450 PPMV AND 550 PPMV." In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7), vol. 1, ed. ES Rubin, DW Keith, CF Gilboy, pp. 891-900.  Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 
  • Dooley JJ, RT Dahowski, CL Davidson, S Bachu, N Gupta, and J Gale. 2004. "A CO2 STORAGE SUPPLY CURVE FOR NORTH AMERICA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE SYSTEMS." In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT7), vol. 1, ed. ES Rubin, DW Keith, CF Gilboy, pp. 593-604.  Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

2003

  • Dahowski RT, and JJ Dooley. 2003. "CARBON MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR EXISTING U.S. GENERATION CAPACITY: A VINTAGE-BASED APPROACH ." In Sixth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, vol. 2, ed. Gale, J.; Kaya, Y., pp. 1107-1112.  Permagon Press, Oxford, United Kingdom. 
  • Davidson CL, JJ Dooley, RT Dahowski, and NM Mahasenan. 2003. "An Analysis Of The Impact Of Selected Carbon Capture And Storage Policy Scenarios On The US Fossil-Based Electric Power Sector." In Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Technical Forum Proceedings, DOE/FE-0464.  US Dept of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Washington, DC. 
  • Dooley JJ, and RT Dahowski. 2003. "EXAMINING PLANNED U.S. POWER PLANT CAPACITY ADDITIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE." In Sixth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, vol. 2, ed. Gale, J.; Kaya, Y., pp. 1113-1118.  Pergamon, Oxford, United Kingdom. 
  • Dooley JJ, JA Edmonds, RT Dahowski, and MA Wise. 2003. "Modeling Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies in Energy and Economic Models." In Proceedings of the IPCC Workshop for Carbon Capture and Storage, pp. 161-172.  ECN , Petten, Netherlands. 

2001

  • Dahowski RT, JJ Dooley, DR Brown, A Mizoguchi, and M Shiozaki. 2001. "Understanding Carbon Sequestration Options in the United States: Capabilities of a Carbon Management Geographic Information System." In Proceedings of the First National Conference on Carbon Sequestration. No publisher listed. 
  • Dahowski RT, JJ Dooley, DR Brown, and AJ Stephan. 2001. "Economic Screening of Geologic Sequestration Options in the United States with a Carbon Management Geographic Information System." In Eighteenth Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference Proceedings, December 3-7, 2001, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, vol. CD-ROM, no. Session 23, ed. Badie I. Morsi.  Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 

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