1. Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity Generation

2. What is a life cycle for a person? Birth & Childhood Retirement & Death Adulthood

3. What is a life cycle for a generating station? Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

4. Pre-operation What activities release greenhouse gases before a generating station operates? Raw materials needed for construction are extracted Parts for the generating station are manufactured Parts for the generating station are transported to building sites Generating stations are constructed

5. Operation What activities release greenhouse gases when a generating station operates? Electricity generated (may involve combustion of fuel) Maintenance (repair of the generator and replacement of parts) Maintenance of station building

6. Fuel Cycle Resource is located (exploration) Resource is extracted (e.g., mining operations) Processed resource is delivered to generating stations Resources is processed and/or refined What activities release greenhouse gases related to the fuel some stations use?

7. Post-operation What activities release greenhouse gases when a generating station closes? Dismantling (taking station apart) Decommissioning (take out of active service – shut down) Disposing and recycling Site reclamation (put back to the way it was)

8. Wind – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Construction of wind turbines Transport to sites Installation No fuel required Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land 500 MW = 250 wind turbines (2 MW/wind turbine) Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

9. Solar – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Construction of solar panels Transport to sites Installation No fuel required Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land 500 MW = 5 263 158 solar panels (95W/solar panel) Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

10. Coal – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Transportation of parts Construction of station Extraction and processing of coal Transport to site Combustion Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land 500 MW = 1 large coal-fired generating station Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

11. Natural Gas – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Transportation of parts Construction of station Extraction and processing of natural gas Transport to site (pipeline) Combustion Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land 500 MW = 1 large natural gas-fired generating station Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

12. Nuclear – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Transportation of parts Construction of station Extraction and processing of uranium Transport to site Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land 500 MW = 0.77 nuclear reactors Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

13. Hydro – when are GHGs emitted? Manufacture of parts Transportation of parts Construction of station Flooding of land No fuel required Transport to site Maintenance and repair Taking apart Transporting parts off site Recycling parts Reclaiming land and water systems 500 MW = 1 large hydroelectric generating station Pre- operation Operation & Fuel Cycle Post- operation

14. How do the methods compare? Tonnes CO 2 e/GWh LowMeanHigh Coal7568881 310 Natural Gas362499891 Solar1385731 Nuclear229130 Hydroelectric226237 Wind626124 Source: Comparison of Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Various Electricity Generation Sources, World Nuclear Association CO 2 e = carbon dioxide equivalent of all GHGs emitted GWh = gigawatt hour = 10 9 Wh = measure of electricity generated over time