Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation
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Striking the Green Balance: A Scientific Approach to Optimal Power Plant Location Selection Integrating Environmental Assessment and Infrastructure Costs

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Mostafa Davodabadi Farahani 1
Ali Farahani 2
Saeed Sharafi 3

1 Department of Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak University, ‎Arak 38156-8-8349, Iran‎.‎

2 Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh 39518-7-9611, ‎Iran‎.‎

3 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak ‎University, Arak 38156-8-8349, Iran‎‎.

10.61882/jgeri.3.2.11
Abstract
supporting industrial and societal growth. Power generation is carried out through various sources such as solar energy, wind, and thermal systems, each with unique infrastructural demands and environmental impacts. Assessing the environmental consequences of constructing power plants is essential for minimizing harm to ecosystems and communities. This study aims to identify optimal locations for establishing electricity generation facilities by evaluating both infrastructure requirements and environmental considerations. A comprehensive site selection process is conducted, taking into account the characteristics of different types of power plants. Cost estimation for each potential site includes factors such as land acquisition and is tailored to the type and capacity of the plant. Environmental variables are also incorporated into the analysis to provide a more holistic view of each option. Using GAMS optimization software, the study identifies the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible sites for power plant installation and recommends the most suitable capacities for each selected location. The findings contribute to more sustainable energy planning and informed decision-making in the energy sector.

Highlights

❖ Incorporate environmental costs into power plant siting to reveal true fossil fuel expenses and guide engineers/governments.
❖ Broaden impact scope in future research to include post-construction factors like transmission and distribution lines.
❖ Balance environmental, political, economic, and community factors in policymaking to gain public support and sustainable growth.
❖ Engage local communities and promote renewables and energy efficiency to align economic interests with environmental goals. 

Keywords

Environmental assessment
Optimal power plant location
Power generation planning
Power system planning
Restricted areas

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The ethical issues, including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, have been completely observed by the authors.

Credit Authorship Contribution Statement

Mostafa Davodabadi: Conceptualization, Data curation, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing-review & editing. Ali Farahani: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Software, Roles/Writing-original draft, Writing-review & editing. Saeed Sharafi: Conceptualization.

Bibliography

Mostafa Davodabadi Farahani completed his bachelor's degree from Arak Azad University in Arak, Iran in 2020 and her master's degree in environmental systems engineering from Arak University in Arak, Iran in 2024. Her research interests include remote sensing and environmental systems and clean energy.

Ali Farahan graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Arak Azad University, Arak, Iran in 2015. He completed his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Arak University, Arak, Iran in 2018-2020. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from Tafresh University, Tafresh, Iran. His research interests include state estimation, control, and planning in power systems.

Saeed Sharafi Completed his PHD in department of environment science and engineering. currently, he is an assistant professor at Arak University. His research interests include agrozonation, hydrology, abiotic stress and environment science.

Citation
M. Davodabadi Farahani, A. Farahani, and S. Sharafi, "Striking the Green Balance: A Scientific Approach to Optimal Power Plant Location Selection Integrating Environmental Assessment and Infrastructure Costs," Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 11-22, 2026.

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Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation
Volume 3, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 11-22

  • Receive Date 03 June 2025
  • Revise Date 17 July 2025
  • Accept Date 14 August 2025
  • Publish Date 01 June 2026

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