The Coal Cost Crossover: Economic Viability Of Existing Coal Compared To New Local Wind And Solar Resources

America has officially entered the “coal cost crossover” – where existing coal is increasingly more expensive than cleaner alternatives. Today, local wind and solar could replace approximately 74 percent of the U.S. coal fleet at an immediate savings to customers. By 2025, this number grows to 86 percent of the coal fleet.

This analysis complements existing research into the costs of clean energy undercutting coal costs, by focusing on which coal plants could be replaced locally (within 35 miles of the existing coal plant) at a saving.

It suggests local decision-makers should consider plans for a smooth shut-down of these …

Attaching a Price to Greenhouse Gas Emissions with a Carbon Tax or Emissions Fee: Considerations and Potential Impacts

The U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018, concluded that “the impacts of
global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in
the future—but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce
greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur.” Members of
Congress and stakeholders articulate a wide range of perspectives over what to do, if anything,
about GHG emissions, future climate change, and related impacts. If Congress were to consider
establishing a program to reduce GHG emissions, one option would …

The Changing Role of Energy in the U.S. Economy

The CSIS Energy Program conducted research, commissioned papers, held a workshop, and developed this report on the changing role of energy in the U.S. economy. The purpose is twofold: (1) improve understanding of how energy impacts the U.S. economy at multiple levels; and (2) evaluate the performance of policies designed to create economic opportunity in the energy sector.

The Report : The research, commissioned papers, and workshop culminated into this final report, The Changing Role of Energy in the U.S. Economy. The report identifies 13 propositions, which represent the emerging energy issues that policymakers might not be aware of and …

Boom and Bust 2019

For the third year in a row, most leading indicators of coal power capacity growth declined in 2018, including construction starts,
pre-construction activity, and plant completions, according to the Global Coal Plant Tracker.

In China and India, which have accounted for 85% of new coal power capacity since 2005, the number of permits for new coal plants dropped to record lows. The level of coal plant retirements continued at a record pace, led primarily by the US, despite efforts by the Trump Administration to keep aging coal plants online.

The decline in most coal power growth indicators reflected an increasingly …

Climate Change and the Federal Reserve

Climate change describes the current trend toward higher average global temperatures and accompanying environmental shifts such as rising sea levels and more severe storms, floods, droughts, and heat waves. In coming decades, climate change—and efforts to limit that change and adapt to it—will have increasingly important effects on the U.S. economy. These effects and their associated risks are relevant considerations for the Federal Reserve in fulfilling its mandate for macroeconomic and financial stability.…

Advancing the Landscape of Clean Energy Innovation

The Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Increased US Oil and Gas Production

High levels of US oil and gas production are projected to increase domestic and global GHG emissions substantially.

Increased oil and natural gas production in the United States has decreased domestic natural gas prices and global oil prices, with major economic and environmental consequences. The resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts have received substantial attention, with most focus on natural gas and relatively little on oil. In this paper, I provide a more comprehensive estimate of how increased production affects these emissions through changes in the US energy mix, associated methane emissions, and—crucially—global oil prices. Under a high oil and gas …

Carbon Capture & Storage in the United States Power Sector

This new report is based on a CATF-led U.S. power sector modeling study, which finds that 45Q federal tax credits for carbon capture & storage (CCS) can have a significant impact on CO2 emissions reductions by 2030.

This report contains estimated levels of CCS deployment in the U.S. power sector as a result of the newly expanded and extended 45Q federal tax credits. The report analyzes the impact of 45Q on CO2 reductions as well as on growth of Enhanced Oil Recovery. For this study, CATF developed robust assumptions for CCS technology costs & performance, which are included in the …

PJM Cold Weather Operations Summary

Following white paper is a summary of the operations that occurred during the week of January 28. The information should be considered preliminary and may be subject to change based on further review. This summary is being provided for of the Operating Committee meeting on February 5, 2019.…

This is a crisis: Facing up to the age of environmental breakdown

Mainstream political and policy debates have failed to recognise that human impacts on the environment have reached a critical stage, potentially eroding the conditions upon which socioeconomic stability is possible.

Human-induced environmental change is occurring at an unprecedented scale and pace and the window of opportunity to avoid catastrophic outcomes in societies around the world is rapidly closing. These outcomes include economic instability, large-scale involuntary migration, conflict, famine and the potential collapse of social and economic systems. The historical disregard of environmental considerations in most areas of policy has been a catastrophic mistake.

In response, this paper argues that three …