Full Title: Capturing the Benefits of Industrial Decarbonization for Houston and Beyond
Author(s): Megan Gross-Wilkinson, Pablo Muñoz, Ruosida (Star) Lin, and Nabil Bennouna
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
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Description (excerpt):
The energy transition is well underway and represents an enormous opportunity for economic growth and emissions reductions worldwide. This report identifies the double benefits the Houston region could experience through a concerted effort to decarbonize existing industrial activity and presents an outline for other jurisdictions to follow.
This paper identifies four primary pathways for achieving emissions reduction in the Houston region — electrification, energy efficiency measures, hydrogen utilization, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) — between 2025 and 2050. Three scenarios — a business-as-usual case, a selective investment scenario reflecting economic limitations on the cost of carbon abatement measures, and a net-zero scenario — compare the potential impacts of emissions reductions and job creation potential with a focus on 2030 and 2050 forecasts.
In the best-case scenario, Houston and the surrounding regions could see more than 21,000 jobs created annually up to 2050 while achieving net zero carbon emissions from industry.