Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Although this poses a threat to national iscal health, it also represents
an opportunity in that many of the nation's existing power plants that are
nearing obsolescence could be replaced by clean energy technologies, result-
ing in rapid decarbonization of the nation's electricity mix. Decisions on
what type of technology is chosen to replace these aging units will shape the
electricity proile of the nation for decades to come and could radically alter
the cost proiles for some of the renewable energy technologies that stand
to beneit from this.
he electricity generation proile of the United States as of 2011 is
depicted in Table 7.1. As the table illustrates, electricity generation is still
dominated by carbon-intensive technologies, with coal-ired power still
amounting to 44.92% of all electricity generation. he second most promi-
nent electricity generation technology utilizes natural gas (20.04%). Adding
the minor contribution from oil-ired power plants (0.72%) brings the total
contribution from fossil fuel power plants to 66%.
he continued dominance of fossil fuel makes electricity provision a key
contributor to the nation's proliic GHG emissions. In 2010, the nation
emitted 5,415 million tonnes of CO
2
equivalent GHG, constituting 17.4%
of global GHG emissions.
15
Of this total, electricity and heat generation
accounted for 42.7% of all US GHG emissions. herefore, it should come as
no surprise that the Obama Administration is keen to support a transition
Table 7.1
ELECTRICITY GENERATION BY SOURCE IN
THE UNITED STATES, 2011
Source
Contribution (%)
Coal 44.92
Nuclear 20.56
Natural Gas 20.04
Hydro 7.90
Wind 2.91
Wood 0.83
Petroleum 0.72
Waste 0.72
Geothermal 0.41
Other 0.40
Electricity imports 0.32
Other gases 0.23
Solar PV 0.04
TOTAL 100.00
Source: Energy Information Administration website - www.
eia.gov, 2013.
