A move to efficiency and renewables could reduce power sector carbon 81% by 2050 and save over $80 billion
How much would it cost to reduce power sector carbon emissions 81% by 2050? According to a new study by Synapse on behalf of the Civil Society Institute, that cost could actually be a net savings of $83 billion compared to a “business as usual” (BAU) scenario under which emissions continue to rise. Synapse’s new report, Toward a Sustainable Future for the U.S. Power Sector: Beyond Business as Usual 2011, evaluates a future in the U.S. electricity industry in which all coal-fired power plants and a quarter of the nation’s nuclear plants are retired by 2050. The study finds that this future, built around increased energy efficiency and renewable resources, would result in net savings on the order of $80 billion compared to the BAU scenario—and reduce electric sector carbon emissions 81% below 2010 levels. The savings are driven by a combination of low-cost energy efficiency and wind additions in the near term, with falling solar photovoltaic costs and rising fossil fuel prices over the long term. Read the full report.
Generating fuel mix in the two scenarios: The bar chart below shows the generating fuel mix under the BAU scenario and the Transition scenario for 2030 and 2050.
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November 28, 2011
Synapse in the News
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