Carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions from fossil-fueled power plants contribute to more than one-third of all CO_2 emissions in the U.S., Any effort to curtail greenhouse gases should therefore include the reduction of this emission source. Methods of CO_2 reduction include (1) use of alternative fuels with lower CO_2 emissions and (2) CO_2 scrubbing and sequestration to prevent its release to the atmosphere. The cost of CO_2 reduction varies with the selected technology. This paper compares (1) the cost of electricity (COE) without and with CO_2 removal/avoidance and (2) the impact of the incremental cost of CO_2 reduction on COE for different technology options, including replacing existing coal plants with natural-gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) with and without CO_2 removal, pulverized coal (PC) with CO_2 scrubber, and nuclear plants. Full and partial compliance with the Kyoto Protocol are addressed.
展开▼
