Court Delay on U.S. Climate Plan Won't Stop Clean Energy Efforts

Economists have tended to view emissions pricing (e.g., cap and trade or a carbon tax) as the most cost-effective approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper offers a different view. Employing analytical and numerically solved general equilibrium models, it provides plausible conditions under which a more conventional form of regulation—namely, the use of a clean energy standard (CES)—is more cost-effective. The models reveal that the CES distorts factor markets less because it is a smaller implicit tax on factors of production. This advantage more than offsets the disadvantages of the CES when minor emissions reductions are involved. (JEL H23, Q42, Q48, Q54, Q58)

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A Comparative Review of Alternative Fuels for the Maritime Sector: Economic, Technology, and Policy Challenges for Clean Energy Implementation

World ◽

10.3390/world2040029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 456-481

Author(s):

Yifan Wang ◽

Laurence A. Wright

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Alternative Fuels ◽

Synthesis Method ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Maritime Transportation ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Emissions Reductions ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Comparative Review

Global maritime transportation is responsible for around 3% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and significant proportions of SOx, NOx, and PM emissions. Considering the predicted growth in shipping volumes to 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from ships must be cut by 75–85% per ton-mile to meet Paris Agreement goals. This study reviews the potential of a range of alternative fuels for decarbonisation in maritime. A systematic literature review and information synthesis method was applied to evaluate fuel characteristics, production pathways, utilization technologies, energy efficiency, lifecycle environmental performance, economic viability, and current applicable policies. Alternative fuels are essential to decarbonisation in international shipping. However, findings suggest there is no single route to deliver the required greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Emissions reductions vary widely depending on the production pathways of the fuel. Alternative fuels utilising a carbon-intensive production pathway will not provide decarbonisation, instead shifting emissions elsewhere in the supply chain. Ultimately, a system-wide perspective to creating an effective policy framework is required in order to promote the adoption of alternative propulsion technologies.

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Actions Large Energy Buyers Can Take to Transform and Decarbonize the Grid: Procurement Practices for Achieving 100% Carbon Free Electricity

10.46830/wriib.20.00119 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lori Bird ◽

Eric O'Shaughnessy ◽

Norma Hutchinson

Keyword(s):

Energy Storage ◽

Energy Use ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Large Energy ◽

Power Sector ◽

Emissions Reductions ◽

Leading Role ◽

Enabling Technologies ◽

Near Term

Large energy buyers—including corporates, cities, and institutional customers—have played and will continue to play an important role in driving clean energy in the near term, particularly renewables. However, to ensure that the power sector achieves deep decarbonization over the next two to three decades, large energy buyers will need to take additional actions to play a leading role in accelerating the transition to a carbon-free grid. Large energy buyers can implement approaches that help transform the grid such as matching clean energy purchasing with the timing of their energy use, incorporating demand flexibility, purchasing dispatchable clean electricity, adopting enabling technologies (e.g., energy storage), maximizing emissions reductions, and driving an an equitable transition to clean energy.

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Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Emission Reductions From Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Consideration of Climate Change and Renewable Energy Policy Initiatives Using eQUEST

ASME 2010 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Volume 1 ◽

10.1115/es2010-90143 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony Sclafani

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Energy Efficiency ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Emissions Reductions ◽

Policy Initiatives ◽

The Impact

In January 2008 the Governor of Hawaii announced the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative; an initiative that aims to have at least 70 percent of Hawaii’s power come from clean energy by 2030 [4]. In July 2009, the Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services awarded NORESCO, an energy service company, a $33.9M contract to improve the energy efficiency of 10 government buildings. The avoided utility cost of the energy and water savings from the improvements is the project funding mechanism. The energy savings realized by the project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with utility power generation. However, as renewable energy becomes a larger portion of the utility generation profile through the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, the carbon dioxide emissions reductions from specific energy efficiency measures may erode over time. This work presents a method of analysis to quantify the carbon dioxide emissions reduction over the life of a project generated by energy efficiency upgrades that accounts for both the impact of policy initiatives and climate change using DOE-2/eQUEST. The analysis is based on the fact that HVAC energy usage will vary with climate changes and that carbon dioxide emission reductions will vary with both energy savings and the corresponding utility’s power generation portfolio. The energy savings related to HVAC system energy efficiency improvements are calculated over the life of a 20 year performance contract using a calibrated DOE-2/eQUEST model of an existing building that utilizes weather data adjusted to match the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The carbon dioxide emissions reductions are calculated using the energy savings results and a projection of the implementation of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The emissions reductions are compared with other analysis methods and discussed to establish more refined expectations of the impact of energy efficiency projects in context with climate changes and policy initiatives.

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Information Disclosure, Coal Withdrawal and Carbon Emissions Reductions: A Policy Test Based on China’s Environmental Information Disclosure

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13179758 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 9758

Author(s):

Nan Li ◽

Beibei Shi ◽

Rong Kang

Keyword(s):

Carbon Emissions ◽

Information Disclosure ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Environmental Information ◽

Emissions Reduction ◽

Energy Structure ◽

Emissions Reductions ◽

Carbon Emissions Reduction ◽

Environmental Information Disclosure

How to better explore a diversity of emissions reduction paths has become the key to China achieving carbon peak and carbon neutralization goals as well as transforming the existing energy structure as soon as possible. Based on this, from the perspective of information flow, this study used the differences-in-differences method (DID) to identify the “net effect” of the carbon emissions reduction caused by China’s environmental information disclosure. The results showed the following: first, environmental information disclosure could effectively promote regional carbon emissions reductions and had a better effect on the central and western regions and low carbon emissions density regions. Second, the achievement of carbon emissions reduction targets was mainly attributed to the positive impact of information disclosure in the process of “coal withdrawal.” Finally, this study also found that environmental information disclosure helped to promote the positive effect of clean energy development on “coal withdrawal,” and the promotion of public awareness regarding environmental supervision helped to strengthen the external impact of environmental information disclosure on regional carbon emissions reduction.

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