PES takes a look at a special US energy report highlighting the potential benefits of taking a more pro-active step towards renewable, and particularly wind, technologies. From job creation to pollution and health, the study digs deep into this controversial subject and asks what the future holds for the US power industry.
The Civil Society Institute recently released Beyond Business as Usual; a study evaluating a strategy for the U.S. electric industry that would provide large-scale public health and environmental benefits at a reasonable cost. The strategy, built around energy efficiency and renewable resources, would also provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions. Since then, the debate has continued over the best way forward for the electric industry. Advocates of a future based on coal with new environmental controls and carbon capture continue to make their case, as do advocates of nuclear power.
Away from this debate, new evidence has emerged that major changes in this industry are needed. Several mining tragedies globally have underscored the human toll of the coal supply chain. New EPA initiatives targeting air toxics, coal ash, and effluent releases highlight the environmental impacts of coal and the cost of addressing them with control technologies. The use of fracking in natural gas exploration is coming under scrutiny, with evidence of groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. Concerns are increasing about the vast amounts of water used at coal-fired and nuclear power plants, particularly in regions of the country facing water shortages. Events at the Fukushima nuclear plant have renewed doubts about the ability to operate large numbers of nuclear plants safely over the long term. Further, cost estimates for “next generation” nuclear units continue to climb, and lenders are unwilling to finance these plants without taxpayer guarantees.
