ATB Technology Names¶

PowerGenome uses technology names from NREL's Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) for new-build generation resources. This page documents the valid technology and tech_detail names for each ATB version.

Technology Naming Convention

ATB technologies use a two-part naming structure: <technology>_<tech_detail>. The technology indicates the generation type (e.g., LandbasedWind), while tech_detail specifies resource quality, configuration, or capture technology (e.g., Class3, Moderate).

Cost Scenarios¶

Most ATB technologies support three cost scenarios:

Conservative: High-cost projection
Moderate: Mid-range cost projection (default)
Advanced: Low-cost projection with optimistic technology improvements

These are specified separately in settings (e.g., atb_cost_case: Moderate).

ATB 2024¶

NREL's 2024 Annual Technology Baseline provides cost and performance data for the following technologies:

Biopower¶

Technology: Biopower Tech Details: Dedicated

Dedicated biomass power plants.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)¶

Technology: CSP Tech Details: Class8, Class3, Class2

Warning

PowerGenome includes capex and FOM for CSP, but users must provide generation profiles.

Coal¶

Technology: Coal Tech Details:

New - Supercritical pulverized coal without capture
IGCC - Integrated gasification combined cycle without capture
IGCC-90%-CCS - IGCC with 90% carbon capture
95%-CCS - Supercritical PC with 95% capture
99%-CCS - Supercritical PC with 99% capture

Note

CCS options do not include CO₂ pipeline or storage costs. Add these separately using co2_pipeline_cost_fn.

Commercial PV¶

Technology: CommPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Warning

PowerGenome includes capex and FOM, but users must provide generation profiles.

Geothermal¶

Technology: Geothermal Tech Details:

NFEGSFlash - Near-field EGS flash
NFEGSBinary - Near-field EGS binary
HydroFlash - Hydrothermal flash
HydroBinary - Hydrothermal binary
DeepEGSFlash - Deep EGS flash
DeepEGSBinary - Deep EGS binary

Warning

Users must provide resource potential and temperature data.

Hydropower¶

Technology: Hydropower Tech Details:

Non-powered dams (NPD): NPD1 through NPD8
New stream-reach development (NSD): NSD1 through NSD4

See ATB documentation for resource class descriptions.

Land-Based Wind¶

Technology: LandbasedWind Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Class 1: Highest quality wind resource
Class 4: Representative of majority of US projects
Classes 1-7: Same capex
Classes 8-10: Higher capex for lower-quality resources

Natural Gas¶

Technology: NaturalGas Tech Details:

Combustion Turbine (F-Frame) - Simple cycle gas turbine
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (F-Frame) - Standard combined cycle
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) - High-efficiency combined cycle
1-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) - Single-train H-frame CC
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (F-Frame) 97% CCS
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (F-Frame) 95% CCS
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) 97% CCS
2-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) 95% CCS
1-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) 95% CCS
1-on-1 Combined Cycle (H-Frame) 97% CCS
Fuel Cell - Solid oxide fuel cell
Fuel Cell 98% CCS - Fuel cell with carbon capture

Note

CCS options do not include CO₂ pipeline or storage costs.

Offshore Wind¶

Technology: OffShoreWind Tech Details:

Class1 through Class7 - Fixed-bottom offshore wind
Class8 through Class14 - Floating offshore wind

Recommendations:

Class 3: Best represents fixed-bottom resources
Class 12: Best represents California Wind Energy Areas (floating)

Floating Wind Costs

ATB2024 floating turbine costs (Class8-14) start in 2030. No cost data available for years before 2030.

Residential PV¶

Technology: ResPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Each class has different capacity factor but identical capex.

Utility-Scale PV¶

Technology: UtilityPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Each class has different capacity factor but identical capex.

Nuclear¶

Technology: Nuclear Tech Details:

Nuclear - Small - Small modular reactors (~300 MW)
Nuclear - Large - Large reactors (~1,000 MW)

Battery Storage¶

Technology: Utility-Scale Battery Storage Tech Details: Lithium Ion

Utility-scale systems with separate MW (power) and MWh (energy) costs. PowerGenome data includes only utility-scale costs. Fixed O&M is 2.5% of capex.

Pumped Storage Hydropower¶

Technology: Pumped Storage Hydropower Tech Details: NatlClass 1 through NatlClass 15

See ATB2024 documentation for resource categorization.

ATB 2022¶

NREL's 2022 Annual Technology Baseline includes:

IMPORTANT: Natural Gas CCS Warning

In ATB2022, NREL uses NETL data for natural gas technologies. Advanced and Moderate NGCCCCS do NOT represent combined cycle plants. By 2030, Advanced technology is a solid oxide fuel cell. Moderate costs/heat rates are averages of Conservative/Advanced. Use Conservative if you want a combined cycle plant with carbon capture.

Biopower¶

Technology: Biopower Tech Details: Dedicated, CofireOld, CofireNew

CSP¶

Technology: CSP Tech Details: Class5, Class3, Class1

Coal¶

Technology: Coal Tech Details:

newAvgCF - New supercritical PC without capture
IGCCAvgCF - IGCC without capture
CCS90AvgCF - Coal with 90% carbon capture

Commercial PV¶

Technology: CommPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Each class has different capacity factor but identical capex.

Geothermal¶

Technology: Geothermal Tech Details: NFEGSFlash, NFEGSBinary, HydroFlash, HydroBinary, DeepEGSFlash, DeepEGSBinary

Hydropower¶

Technology: Hydropower Tech Details: NSD1 through NSD4, NPD1 through NPD8

Land-Based Wind¶

Technology: LandbasedWind Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

All wind classes in ATB2022 have identical capex. Class 4 represents the majority of US projects. Class 1 is the highest quality resource.

Natural Gas¶

Technology: NaturalGas Tech Details:

CTAvgCF - Combustion turbine
CCAvgCF - Combined cycle without capture
CCCCSAvgCF - Combined cycle/fuel cell with 90% capture

Danger

See warning above about CCS technologies.

Offshore Wind¶

Technology: OffShoreWind Tech Details:

Class1 through Class7 - Fixed-bottom (each has different capex)
Class8 through Class14 - Floating (each has different capex)

Recommendations:

Class 3: Best for near-term fixed-bottom deployment
Class 12: Best for California Wind Energy Areas

Residential PV¶

Technology: ResPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Utility-Scale PV¶

Technology: UtilityPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Battery Storage¶

Technology: Battery Tech Details: * (wildcard - duration determined by model)

ATB2022 reports batteries in 2-10 hour configurations. NREL provides energy ($/kWh) and power ($/kW) costs separately. PowerGenome provides both, allowing models to determine optimal storage duration. Fixed O&M is 2.5% of capex for both components.

Pumped Storage Hydropower¶

Technology: Pumped Storage Hydropower Tech Details: NatlClass 1 through NatlClass 15

Distributed Wind¶

Technology: DistributedWind Tech Details:

LargeScaleClass1-10
MidsizeScaleClass1-10
CommercialScaleClass1-10
ResidentialScaleClass1-10

Warning

Costs included, but users must provide generation profiles.

ATB 2021¶

NREL's 2021 Annual Technology Baseline includes:

IMPORTANT: Natural Gas CCS Warning

Same as ATB2022: Advanced and Moderate NGCCCCS do NOT represent combined cycle plants. Use Conservative for combined cycle with carbon capture.

Biopower¶

Technology: Biopower Tech Details: Dedicated, CofireOld, CofireNew

CSP¶

Technology: CSP Tech Details: Class5, Class3, Class1

Coal¶

Technology: Coal Tech Details:

newHighCF, newAvgCF - New supercritical PC
IGCCHighCF, IGCCAvgCF - IGCC
CCS90HighCF, CCS90AvgCF - 90% carbon capture
CCS36HighCF, CCS36AvgCF - 36% carbon capture

Commercial PV¶

Technology: CommPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Geothermal¶

Technology: Geothermal Tech Details: NFEGSFlash, NFEGSBinary, HydroFlash, HydroBinary, DeepEGSFlash, DeepEGSBinary

Hydropower¶

Technology: Hydropower Tech Details: NSD1 through NSD4, NPD1 through NPD4

Land-Based Wind¶

Technology: LandbasedWind Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

All classes have identical capex (change from ATB2020). Class 4 represents majority of US projects.

Natural Gas¶

Technology: NaturalGas Tech Details:

CTHighCF, CTAvgCF - Combustion turbine
CCHighCF, CCAvgCF - Combined cycle
CCCCSHighCF, CCCCSAvgCF - Combined cycle/fuel cell with 90% CCS

Danger

See warning above about CCS technologies.

Offshore Wind¶

Technology: OffShoreWind Tech Details:

Class1 through Class7 - Fixed-bottom
Class8 through Class14 - Floating

Recommendations:

Class 3: Near-term fixed-bottom deployment
Class 13: Floating resources

Residential PV¶

Technology: ResPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Utility-Scale PV¶

Technology: UtilityPV Tech Details: Class1 through Class10

Battery Storage¶

Technology: Battery Tech Details: *

Reported in 2-10 hour configurations with separate energy/power costs. Fixed O&M is 2.5% of capex.

ATB 2020¶

NREL's 2020 Annual Technology Baseline uses different cost scenario names:

Cost Scenario Names

ATB2020 originally used High, Mid, and Low instead of Conservative/Moderate/Advanced. NREL has since updated files to use the newer naming convention.

Biopower¶

Technology: Biopower Tech Details: Dedicated, CofireOld, CofireNew

CSP¶

Technology: CSP Tech Details: Class5, Class3, Class1

Coal¶

Technology: Coal Tech Details:

newHighCF, newAvgCF - New supercritical PC
IGCCHighCF, IGCCAvgCF - IGCC
CCS90HighCF, CCS90AvgCF - 90% capture
CCS30HighCF, CCS30AvgCF - 30% capture

Commercial PV¶

Technology: CommPV Tech Details: Seattle, LosAngeles, KansasCity, Daggett, Chicago

Each city has different capacity factor.

Geothermal¶

Technology: Geothermal Tech Details: NFEGSFlash, NFEGSBinary, HydroFlash, HydroBinary, DeepEGSFlash, DeepEGSBinary

Hydropower¶

Technology: Hydropower Tech Details: NSD1 through NSD4, NPD1 through NPD8

Land-Based Wind¶

Technology: LandbasedWind Tech Details: LTRG1 through LTRG10

Each TRG (Terrestrial Reference Gradation) has different capex representing different turbine technologies. LTRG4 represents majority of US projects. LTRG1 is highest quality.

Natural Gas¶

Technology: NaturalGas Tech Details:

CTHighCF, CTAvgCF - Combustion turbine
CCHighCF, CCAvgCF - Combined cycle
CCCCSHighCF, CCCCSAvgCF - Combined cycle with 90% CCS

Offshore Wind¶

Technology: OffShoreWind Tech Details:

OTRG1 through OTRG7 - Fixed-bottom (each has different capex)
OTRG8 through OTRG15 - Floating

Recommendations:

OTRG3: Near-term fixed-bottom deployment
OTRG13: Floating resources

Residential PV¶

Technology: ResPV Tech Details: Seattle, LosAngeles, KansasCity, Daggett, Chicago

Utility-Scale PV¶

Technology: UtilityPV Tech Details: Seattle, LosAngeles, KansasCity, Daggett, Chicago

Battery Storage¶

Technology: Battery Tech Details: *

Reported in 2 and 4-hour configurations with separate energy/power costs. Fixed O&M is 2.5% of capex.

Usage in Settings¶

To use ATB technologies in your PowerGenome configuration:

# Specify ATB version and cost scenario
atb_data_year: 2024
atb_cost_case: Moderate  # Conservative, Moderate, or Advanced

# List available new-build technologies
atb_new_gen:
  - LandbasedWind_Class3_Moderate
  - UtilityPV_Class1_Moderate
  - NaturalGas_CCAvgCF_Moderate
  - Battery_*_Moderate  # Wildcard for all battery durations

The format is <technology>_<tech_detail>_<cost_case>.

See Adding Technologies for complete configuration details.

ATB Technology Names¶

Cost Scenarios¶

ATB 2024¶

Biopower¶

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)¶

Coal¶

Commercial PV¶

Geothermal¶

Hydropower¶

Land-Based Wind¶

Natural Gas¶

Offshore Wind¶

Residential PV¶

Utility-Scale PV¶

Nuclear¶

Battery Storage¶

Pumped Storage Hydropower¶

ATB 2022¶

Biopower¶

CSP¶

Coal¶

Commercial PV¶

Geothermal¶

Hydropower¶

Land-Based Wind¶

Natural Gas¶

Offshore Wind¶

Residential PV¶

Utility-Scale PV¶

Battery Storage¶

Pumped Storage Hydropower¶

Distributed Wind¶

ATB 2021¶

Biopower¶

CSP¶

Coal¶

Commercial PV¶

Geothermal¶

Hydropower¶

Land-Based Wind¶

Natural Gas¶

Offshore Wind¶

Residential PV¶

Utility-Scale PV¶

Battery Storage¶

ATB 2020¶

Biopower¶

CSP¶

Coal¶

Commercial PV¶

Geothermal¶

Hydropower¶

Land-Based Wind¶

Natural Gas¶

Offshore Wind¶

Residential PV¶

Utility-Scale PV¶

Battery Storage¶

Usage in Settings¶

Related Resources¶