Electricity generation technologies: Comparison of materials use, energy return on investment, jobs creation and CO^sub 2^ emissions reduction

• Published in: Energy policy 2018-09, Vol.120, p.144
• Main Authors: Kis, Zoltán, Pandya, Nikul, Koppelaar, Rembrandt H E M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomass burning; Carbon; Carbon sequestration; Coal; Consumption; Density; Economic performance; Economics; Electricity; Electricity generation; Emissions; Emissions control; Employment; Energy consumption; Energy policy; Extraction; Fossil fuels; Gas pipelines; Gas transport; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Job creation; Lignite; Liquefied natural gas; Natural gas; Networks; Offshore operations; Photovoltaics; Power; Return on investment; Socioeconomic factors; Solar energy; Solar power; Technology; Transportation; Variability; Viability
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777

Shifting to a low-carbon electricity future requires up-to-date information on the energetic, environmental and socio-economic performance of technologies. Here, we present a novel comprehensive bottom-up process chain framework that is applied to 19 electricity generation technologies, consistently incorporating 12 life-cycle phases from extraction to decommissioning. For each life-cycle phase of each technology the following 4 key metrics were assessed: material consumption, energy return ratios, job requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. We also calculate a novel global electricity to grid average for these metrics and present a metric variability analysis by altering transport distance, load factors, efficiency, and fuel density per technology. This work quantitatively supports model-to-policy frameworks that drive technology selection and investment based on energetic-economic viability, job creation and carbon emission reduction of technologies. The results suggest energetic-economic infeasibility of electricity generation networks with substantial shares of: i) liquefied natural gas transport, ii) long distance transport based hard and brown coal and pipeline natural gas, and iii) low-load factor solar-photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, onshore and offshore wind. Direct sector jobs can be expected to double in renewable-majority scenarios. All combustion-powered technologies without natural (biomass) or artificial carbon capture (fossil fuels) are not compatible with a low carbon electricity generation future.