science in ACTION

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE



GLIMPSE - A COMPUTATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTING STATE-
LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY PLANNING

What is GLIMPSE?

GLIMPSE is a decision support modeling tool being
developed by EPA that will assist states with energy
and environmental planning through the year 2050.

Users of GLIMPSE can explore the impacts of
energy technologies and policies on the environment.
For example, GLIMPSE can examine measures that
promote energy efficiency by estimating energy
savings, analyzing how emissions and air quality
would be affected, and reporting how energy-related
water use would change. Additional technologies that
could be analyzed include electric and hydrogen fuel
cell vehicles, wind and solar power, and carbon
capture and sequestration.

An exciting feature is that users can specify energy,
air quality, and water use goals within GLIMPSE,
which then identifies cost-effective strategies for
meeting those goals. For example, states could use
GLIMPSE to develop air quality management
strategies that also meet renewable electricity targets,
energy security objectives, and factor in how
droughts could affect power plant operations.

GLIMPSE is built on the Global Change Assessment
Model (GCAM), developed by the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL). The model simulates
the interactions between human systems (such as
economy, energy, agriculture, land use, and
buildings) and earth systems (such as water and
carbon cycles). PNNL and EPA researchers are
working together to improve GCAMs ability to
support environmental analyses.

What are the strengths of GLIMPSE?

User-Friendly: Users can specify many complex
technology or policy scenarios in minutes. GLIMPSE
includes tools for visualizing model results, including
the energy and environmental the impacts of
scenarios.

Fast: Once a scenario has been specified, model
results are available within hours.

Flexible: Many of the assumptions about the future
can be changed. For example, users could explore
alternative assumptions about population and
economic growth, technology availability, and future
policies.

Comprehensive: By simulating the interactions
among human and earth systems, GLIMPSE can
identify important unintended consequences and
other policy considerations that may not otherwise be
apparent.

Multi-scale: Users can specify policies or examine
energy technologies at the state, regional, or national
level within the context of a global scenario.

Who should use GLIMPSE?

GLIMPSE software will be useful to federal, regional
and state policy analysts, energy and environmental
planners, and faculty and students performing
environmental and energy research.

1

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development

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How does GLIMPSE work?

GLIMPSE runs on Windows and requires no special
software or hardware. Future versions of GLIMPSE
will also execute on Linux and Apple computers.

How do I get GLIMPSE?

GLIMPSE is still under development and not yet
publicly available. However, the GLIMPSE research
team is working with a small number of partners
willing to be beta testers to help researchers improve
the software. To volunteer for beta testing, please
contact one of the project scientists under contact
information:

For more information, please visit: GLIMPSE EPA

Webpage: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/glimpse-

computational-framework-supporting-state-level-

environmental-and-energy

Contact: Dan Louglilin, 919-541-4841,

louriilin.dan@epa.gov

Chris Nolte, 919-541-1379, nolte.chris @epa.gov
December 2017

Regional inputs

Economy

Markets

Policy constraints



Energy supply

• Fossil fuels

Resource bases



*	Renewable?

*	Electricity

*	Refineries

Energy conversion

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technologies



Energy demand

Energy demand

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* Industry

technologies

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•	Buildings

*	Transjw
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