Issue with config file: Config file is not valid JSON or YAML.

[Rock910]

Checklist

• [ ] I am using the current master branch or the latest release. Please indicate. I am running on v0.7.0
• [ ] I am running on an up-to-date pypsa-eur environment. Update via conda env update -f envs/environment.yaml.

Describe the Bug

Please provide a description of what the bug is and add a minimal example/command for reproducing the bug.

After modifying the config.default.yaml I get an error message:

Error Message

WorkflowError in file /home/ubuntu/pypsa-eur/Snakefile, line 16: Config file is not valid JSON or YAML. In case of YAML, make sure to not mix whitespace and tab indentation. File "/home/ubuntu/pypsa-eur/Snakefile", line 16, in

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: : 2017-2023 The PyPSA-Eur Authors
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0

version: 0.7.0
tutorial: false

logging:
  level: INFO
  format: '%(levelname)s:%(name)s:%(message)s'

run:
  name: "" # use this to keep track of runs with different settings
  shared_cutouts: false # set to true to share the default cutout(s) across runs

scenario:
  simpl: ['']
  ll: ['copt']
  clusters: [37]
  #clusters: [37, 128, 256, 512, 1024]
  opts: [Co2L-1H]
  #opts: [Co2L-3H]

countries: ['AL', 'AT', 'BA', 'BE', 'BG', 'CH', 'CZ', 'DE', 'DK', 'EE', 'ES', 'FI', 'FR', 'GB', 'GR', 'HR', 'HU', 'IE', 'IT', 'LT', 'LU', 'LV', 'ME', 'MK', 'NL', 'NO', 'PL', 'PT', 'RO', 'RS', 'SE', 'SI', 'SK']

snapshots:
 # start: "2013-01-01"
  start: "2016-01-17"
  end: "2016-01-23"
  inclusive: 'left' # include start, not end

enable:
  prepare_links_p_nom: false
  retrieve_databundle: true
  retrieve_cost_data: true
  build_cutout: true
  #build_cutout: false
  retrieve_cutout: false
  #retrieve_cutout: true
  build_natura_raster: false
  retrieve_natura_raster: true
  custom_busmap: false

electricity:
  voltages: [220., 300., 380.]
  gaslimit: false # global gas usage limit of X MWh_th
  co2limit: 7.75e+7 # 0.05 * 3.1e9*0.5
  co2base: 1.487e+9
  agg_p_nom_limits: data/agg_p_nom_minmax.csv

  operational_reserve: # like https://genxproject.github.io/GenX/dev/core/#Reserves
    activate: false
    epsilon_load: 0.02 # share of total load
    epsilon_vres: 0.02 # share of total renewable supply
    contingency: 4000 # fixed capacity in MW

  max_hours:
    battery: 6
    H2: 168

  extendable_carriers:
    Generator: []
  #  Generator: [solar, onwind, offwind-ac, offwind-dc, OCGT]
    StorageUnit: [battery] # battery, H2
    Store: [battery, H2]
    Link: [] # H2 pipeline

  # use pandas query strings here, e.g. Country not in ['Germany']
  powerplants_filter: (DateOut >= 2022 or DateOut != DateOut)
  # use pandas query strings here, e.g. Country in ['Germany']
  custom_powerplants: false

  conventional_carriers: [nuclear, oil, OCGT, CCGT, coal, lignite, geothermal, biomass]
  renewable_carriers: [solar, onwind, offwind-ac, offwind-dc, hydro]

  estimate_renewable_capacities:
    enable: true
    # Add capacities from OPSD data
    from_opsd: true
    # Renewable capacities are based on existing capacities reported by IRENA
    year: 2020
    # Artificially limit maximum capacities to factor * (IRENA capacities),
    # i.e. 110% of <years>'s capacities => expansion_limit: 1.1
    # false: Use estimated renewable potentials determine by the workflow
    expansion_limit: false
    technology_mapping:
      # Wind is the Fueltype in powerplantmatching, onwind, offwind-{ac,dc} the carrier in PyPSA-Eur
      Offshore: [offwind-ac, offwind-dc]
      Onshore: [onwind]
      PV: [solar]

atlite:
  nprocesses: 4
  show_progress: false # false saves time
  cutouts:
    # use 'base' to determine geographical bounds and time span from config
    # base:
      # module: era5
    europe-2013-era5:
      module: era5 # in priority order
      x: [-12., 35.]
      y: [33., 72]
      dx: 0.3
      dy: 0.3
      time: ['2016-01-01', '2016-02-01']
      #time: ['2013', '2013']
    europe-2013-sarah:
      module: [sarah, era5] # in priority order
      x: [-12., 45.]
      y: [33., 65]
      dx: 0.2
      dy: 0.2
      ['2016-01-01', '2016-02-01']
     # time: ['2013', '2013']
      sarah_interpolate: false
      sarah_dir:
      features: [influx, temperature]

renewable:
  onwind:
    cutout: europe-2013-era5
    resource:
      method: wind
      turbine: Vestas_V112_3MW
    capacity_per_sqkm: 3 # ScholzPhd Tab 4.3.1: 10MW/km^2 and assuming 30% fraction of the already restricted
    # area is available for installation of wind generators due to competing land use and likely public
    # acceptance issues.
    # correction_factor: 0.93
    corine:
      # Scholz, Y. (2012). Renewable energy based electricity supply at low costs:
      #  development of the REMix model and application for Europe. ( p.42 / p.28)
      grid_codes: [12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32]
      distance: 1000
      distance_grid_codes: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
    natura: true
    excluder_resolution: 100
    potential: simple # or conservative
    clip_p_max_pu: 1.e-2
  offwind-ac:
    cutout: europe-2013-era5
    resource:
      method: wind
      turbine: NREL_ReferenceTurbine_5MW_offshore
    capacity_per_sqkm: 2 # ScholzPhd Tab 4.3.1: 10MW/km^2 and assuming 20% fraction of the already restricted
    # area is available for installation of wind generators due to competing land use and likely public
    # acceptance issues.
    correction_factor: 0.8855
    # proxy for wake losses
    # from 10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.153
    # until done more rigorously in #153
    corine: [44, 255]
    natura: true
    ship_threshold: 400
    max_depth: 50
    max_shore_distance: 30000
    excluder_resolution: 200
    potential: simple # or conservative
    clip_p_max_pu: 1.e-2
  offwind-dc:
    cutout: europe-2013-era5
    resource:
      method: wind
      turbine: NREL_ReferenceTurbine_5MW_offshore
    capacity_per_sqkm: 2 # ScholzPhd Tab 4.3.1: 10MW/km^2 and assuming 20% fraction of the already restricted
    # area is available for installation of wind generators due to competing land use and likely public
    # acceptance issues.
    correction_factor: 0.8855
    # proxy for wake losses
    # from 10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.153
    # until done more rigorously in #153
    corine: [44, 255]
    natura: true
    ship_threshold: 400
    max_depth: 50
    min_shore_distance: 30000
    excluder_resolution: 200
    potential: simple # or conservative
    clip_p_max_pu: 1.e-2
  solar:
    cutout: europe-2013-sarah
    resource:
      method: pv
      panel: CSi
      orientation:
        slope: 35.
        azimuth: 180.
    capacity_per_sqkm: 1.7 # ScholzPhd Tab 4.3.1: 170 MW/km^2 and assuming 1% of the area can be used for solar PV panels
    # Correction factor determined by comparing uncorrected area-weighted full-load hours to those
    # published in Supplementary Data to
    # Pietzcker, Robert Carl, et al. "Using the sun to decarbonize the power
    # sector: The economic potential of photovoltaics and concentrating solar
    # power." Applied Energy 135 (2014): 704-720.
    # This correction factor of 0.854337 may be in order if using reanalysis data.
    # for discussion refer to https://github.com/PyPSA/pypsa-eur/pull/304
    # correction_factor: 0.854337
    corine: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 31, 32]
    natura: true
    excluder_resolution: 100
    potential: simple # or conservative
    clip_p_max_pu: 1.e-2
  hydro:
    cutout: europe-2013-era5
    carriers: [ror, PHS, hydro]
    PHS_max_hours: 6
    hydro_max_hours: "energy_capacity_totals_by_country" # one of energy_capacity_totals_by_country, estimate_by_large_installations or a float
    clip_min_inflow: 1.0

conventional:
  nuclear:
    p_max_pu: "data/nuclear_p_max_pu.csv" # float of file name

lines:
  types:
    220.: "Al/St 240/40 2-bundle 220.0"
    300.: "Al/St 240/40 3-bundle 300.0"
    380.: "Al/St 240/40 4-bundle 380.0"
  s_max_pu: 0.7
  s_nom_max: .inf
  length_factor: 1.25
  under_construction: 'zero' # 'zero': set capacity to zero, 'remove': remove, 'keep': with full capacity

links:
  p_max_pu: 1.0
  p_nom_max: .inf
  include_tyndp: true
  under_construction: 'zero' # 'zero': set capacity to zero, 'remove': remove, 'keep': with full capacity

transformers:
  x: 0.1
  s_nom: 2000.
  type: ''

load:
  power_statistics: true # only for files from <2019; set false in order to get ENTSOE transparency data
  interpolate_limit: 3 # data gaps up until this size are interpolated linearly
  time_shift_for_large_gaps: 1w # data gaps up until this size are copied by copying from
  manual_adjustments: true # false
  scaling_factor: 1.0

costs:
  year: 2030
  version: v0.5.0
  rooftop_share: 0.14  # based on the potentials, assuming  (0.1 kW/m2 and 10 m2/person)
  fill_values:
    FOM: 0
    VOM: 0
    efficiency: 1
    fuel: 0
    investment: 0
    lifetime: 25
    "CO2 intensity": 0
    "discount rate": 0.07
  marginal_cost:
    solar: 0.01
    onwind: 0.015
    offwind: 0.015
    hydro: 0.
    H2: 0.
    electrolysis: 0.
    fuel cell: 0.
    battery: 0.
    battery inverter: 0.
  emission_prices: # in currency per tonne emission, only used with the option Ep
    co2: 0.

clustering:
  simplify_network:
    to_substations: false # network is simplified to nodes with positive or negative power injection (i.e. substations or offwind connections)
    algorithm: kmeans # choose from: [hac, kmeans]
    feature: solar+onwind-time # only for hac. choose from: [solar+onwind-time, solar+onwind-cap, solar-time, solar-cap, solar+offwind-cap] etc.
    exclude_carriers: []
    remove_stubs: true
    remove_stubs_across_borders: true
  cluster_network:
    algorithm: kmeans
    feature: solar+onwind-time
    exclude_carriers: []
  aggregation_strategies:
    generators:
      p_nom_max: sum # use "min" for more conservative assumptions
      p_nom_min: sum
      p_min_pu: mean
      marginal_cost: mean
      committable: any
      ramp_limit_up: max
      ramp_limit_down: max
      efficiency: mean

solving:
  options:
    formulation: kirchhoff
    load_shedding: false
    noisy_costs: true
    min_iterations: 4
    max_iterations: 6
    clip_p_max_pu: 0.01
    skip_iterations: true
    track_iterations: false
    #nhours: 10
  solver:
    name: cbc
   # threads: 4
   # method: 2 # barrier
   # crossover: 0
   # BarConvTol: 1.e-5
   # FeasibilityTol: 1.e-6
   # AggFill: 0
   # PreDual: 0
   # GURO_PAR_BARDENSETHRESH: 200
  # solver:
  #   name: cplex
  #   threads: 4
  #   lpmethod: 4 # barrier
  #   solutiontype: 2 # non basic solution, ie no crossover
  #   barrier.convergetol: 1.e-5
  #   feasopt.tolerance: 1.e-6

plotting:
  map:
    figsize: [7, 7]
    boundaries: [-10.2, 29, 35, 72]
    p_nom:
      bus_size_factor: 5.e+4
      linewidth_factor: 3.e+3

  costs_max: 800
  costs_threshold: 1

  energy_max: 15000.
  energy_min: -10000.
  energy_threshold: 50.

  vre_techs: ["onwind", "offwind-ac", "offwind-dc", "solar", "ror"]
  conv_techs: ["OCGT", "CCGT", "Nuclear", "Coal"]
  storage_techs: ["hydro+PHS", "battery", "H2"]
  load_carriers: ["AC load"]
  AC_carriers: ["AC line", "AC transformer"]
  link_carriers: ["DC line", "Converter AC-DC"]
  tech_colors:
    "onwind": "#235ebc"
    "onshore wind": "#235ebc"
    'offwind': "#6895dd"
    'offwind-ac': "#6895dd"
    'offshore wind': "#6895dd"
    'offshore wind ac': "#6895dd"
    'offwind-dc': "#74c6f2"
    'offshore wind dc': "#74c6f2"
    "hydro": "#08ad97"
    "hydro+PHS": "#08ad97"
    "PHS": "#08ad97"
    "hydro reservoir": "#08ad97"
    'hydroelectricity': '#08ad97'
    "ror": "#4adbc8"
    "run of river": "#4adbc8"
    'solar': "#f9d002"
    'solar PV': "#f9d002"
    'solar thermal': '#ffef60'
    'biomass': '#0c6013'
    'solid biomass': '#06540d'
    'biogas': '#23932d'
    'waste': '#68896b'
    'geothermal': '#ba91b1'
    "OCGT": "#d35050"
    "gas": "#d35050"
    "natural gas": "#d35050"
    "CCGT": "#b20101"
    "nuclear": "#ff9000"
    "coal": "#707070"
    "lignite": "#9e5a01"
    "oil": "#262626"
    "H2": "#ea048a"
    "hydrogen storage": "#ea048a"
    "battery": "#b8ea04"
    "Electric load": "#f9d002"
    "electricity": "#f9d002"
    "lines": "#70af1d"
    "transmission lines": "#70af1d"
    "AC-AC": "#70af1d"
    "AC line": "#70af1d"
    "links": "#8a1caf"
    "HVDC links": "#8a1caf"
    "DC-DC": "#8a1caf"
    "DC link": "#8a1caf"
  nice_names:
    OCGT: "Open-Cycle Gas"
    CCGT: "Combined-Cycle Gas"
    offwind-ac: "Offshore Wind (AC)"
    offwind-dc: "Offshore Wind (DC)"
    onwind: "Onshore Wind"
    solar: "Solar"
    PHS: "Pumped Hydro Storage"
    hydro: "Reservoir & Dam"
    battery: "Battery Storage"
    H2: "Hydrogen Storage"
    lines: "Transmission Lines"
    ror: "Run of River"

[euronion]

Your config entry for the sarah cutout is incorrect, it is missing the leading time: for the time-range. Here's the corrected version:

    europe-2013-sarah:
      module: [sarah, era5] # in priority order
      x: [-12., 45.]
      y: [33., 65]
      dx: 0.2
      dy: 0.2
      # ['2016-01-01', '2016-02-01'] # Your version, incorrect
      time: ['2016-01-01', '2016-02-01']

You can use e.g. yamllint.com/ to quickly trackdown such issues.