Todd Levin

Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division, Faculty Member

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Todd Levin is an Energy Systems Engineer in the Center for Energy, Environmental and Economic Systems Analysis at Argonne National Laboratory. His research interests focus on utilizing advanced optimization and simulation methodologies to model complex interactions in electricity markets and quantify the implications of domestic energy policies and regulations. He also maintains a strong interest in international energy development, examining optimal centralized and decentralized rural electrification strategies as well as a range of global energy and water security issues.

Dr. Levin received a B.A. in physics from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Argonne in 2013 he has worked as a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte Consulting and a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Papers by Todd Levin

Survey of U.S. Ancillary Services Markets

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Ultra stable all-fiber telecom-band entangled photon-pair source for turnkey quantum communication applications

Optics Express, 2006

We demonstrate a novel alignment-free all-fiber source for generating telecom-band polarization-e... more We demonstrate a novel alignment-free all-fiber source for generating telecom-band polarization-entangled photon pairs. Polarization entanglement is created by injecting two relatively delayed, orthogonally polarized pump pulses into a piece of dispersion-shifted fiber, where each one independently engages in four-photon scattering, and then removing any distinguishability between the correlated photon-pairs produced by each pulse at the fiber output. Our scheme uses a Michelson-interferometer configuration with Faraday mirrors to achieve practically desirable features such as ultra-stable performance and turnkey operation. Up to 91.7% twophoton-interference visibility is observed without subtracting the accidental coincidences that arise from background photons while operating the source at room temperature.

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Erratum to “State-scale evaluation of renewable electricity policy: The role of renewable electricity credits and carbon taxes” [Energy Policy 39 (2) (2010) 950–960]

by Todd Levin and Valerie Thomas

Energy Policy, 2011

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Least-cost network evaluation of centralized and decentralized contributions to global electrification

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

The choice between centralized and decentralized electricity generation is examined for 150 count... more The choice between centralized and decentralized electricity generation is examined for 150 countries as a function of population distribution, electricity consumption, transmission cost, and the cost difference between decentralized and centralized electricity generation. A network algorithm is developed to find the shortest centralized transmission network that spans a given fraction of the population in a country. The least-cost combination of centralized and decentralized electricity that serves the country is determined. Case studies of Botswana, Uganda, and Bangladesh illustrate situations that are more and less suited for decentralized electrification. Specific maps for centralized and decentralized generation are presented to show how the least-cost option varies with the relative costs of centralized and decentralized generation and transmission cost. Centralized and decentralized fractions are calculated for 150 countries. For most of the world's population, centralized electricity is the least-cost option. For a number of countries, particularly in Africa, substantial populations and regions may be most cost-effectively served by decentralized electricity.

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A MARKAL model of state electricity generation

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

Estimates of the tion in the South Cost of New Electricity Genera

by Valerie Thomas, Seth Borin, and Todd Levin

State-Scale Evaluation of Renewable Electricity Policy: The Role of Biomass in Georiga’s Renewable Electricity Future

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

We have developed a state-scale version of the MARKAL energy optimization model, commonly used to... more We have developed a state-scale version of the MARKAL energy optimization model, commonly used to model energy policy at the US national scale and internationally. We apply the model to address state-scale impacts of a renewable electricity standard (RES) and a carbon tax in one southeastern state, Georgia. Biomass is the lowest cost option for large-scale renewable generation in Georgia;

Utility-maximizing financial contracts for distributed rural electrification

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

ABSTRACT We develop a cost-benefit framework for extending electricity access in currently un-ele... more ABSTRACT We develop a cost-benefit framework for extending electricity access in currently un-electrified regions. We first show that distributed technologies may be the lowest-cost electrification option in areas where electricity consumption is low and grid connection costs are high. We also show that some centralized electrification programs provide services with subsidized rates far below cost recovery. An economic model is developed to compare three financial mechanisms that can be used to make capital intensive, distributed electrification technologies more accessible to rural populations; direct subsidies, rental programs and microloans. These contracts are compared on their ability to increase consumer utility for a given cost to the providing agency. We show that a direct technology subsidy is generally preferred when the desired subsidization is high and that, under certain parameter combinations, microloan and rental programs can improve energy access for the poor while also making a profit for the providing agency.

Modeling the impact of stochastic outages for electricity infrastructure development

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

A mixed-integer optimization model for electricity infrastructure development

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin

We formulate a mixed-integer program that can be used to analyze the decision between centralized... more We formulate a mixed-integer program that can be used to analyze the decision between centralized and decentralized technologies for new energy infrastructure development. The formulation minimizes the cost of meeting both average and peak power demand in each specified demand node. We demonstrate our methodology with a case study of Rwanda, accounting for existing generation and transmission infrastructure. Thirteen ongoing or proposed projects are considered as potential new centralized generation facilities and the decentralized technology is modeled after a small (∼50 W) solar home system. The case study is repeated using population data at four different resolutions while varying demand levels and decentralized technology cost. A tipping point effect is observed, where the optimal infrastructure tips from being primarily centralized to primarily decentralized under certain combinations of the demand and cost parameters. These tipping points are largely consistent across the four data resolutions. Finding a solution within 1 % of optimal was often found to be computationally expensive in formulations with greater than approximately 200 nodes and 800 edges. However, formulations using less dense population data are shown to accurately identify the same tipping points while requiring fewer computational resources. Examples of the minimum cost electricity infrastructure in Rwanda are also shown for several specific combinations of parameters.

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Estimates of the cost of new electricity generation in the South

by Valerie Thomas, Seth Borin, and Todd Levin

Future demand for electricity can be met with a range of technologies, with fuels including coal,... more Future demand for electricity can be met with a range of technologies, with fuels including coal, nuclear, natural gas, biomass and other renewables, as well as with energy efficiency and demand management approaches. Choices among options will depend on factors including capital cost, fuel cost, market and regulatory uncertainty, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts. This paper estimates the costs of new electricity generation. The approach taken here is to provide a transparent and verifiable analysis based mainly on recent data provided to public utility commissions by electric utilities. As new

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State-scale evaluation of renewable electricity policy: The role of renewable electricity credits and carbon taxes

by Valerie Thomas and Todd Levin