1. Energy Source Comparison Sama Bilbao y Leon & Michael J. Stuart Dominion 2007 4-DAY STW “SCIENCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY & RADIATION”

2. Key Concepts Sustainability  Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Life cycle analysis  It analyses the environmental performance of products and services through all phases of their life cycle:  extracting and processing raw materials  manufacturing  transportation and distribution  use, re-use, maintenance  recycling, and final disposal

3. Key Concepts Baseload power – minimum required continuous system electrical output.  Must be available and online 24/7!  Very little fluctuation Peaking Power – standby power supply that can be rapidly placed online/offline as demand rises and falls.  Need only be available during peak hours  High fluctuation  Can be brought online/offline quickly

4. BASELOAD PEAKING

5. Key Concepts Capacity  The amount of electricity that an energy source can provide at 100% of its rated output. Capacity Factor  The percent of actual electricity produced vs. rated capacity

6. Key Concepts Renewable Energy  Uses a source of energy that can be replenished in a reasonably short time. Clean Energy  Does not create waste in the process of generating energy

7. Key Concepts Climate Change  IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007) confirms it  Are human activities the cause of climate change? History  Rio de Janeiro, 1992 U.N. Earth Summit  Kyoto, 1997, Industrialized countries agree to reduce combined greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% compared to 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012  February 16, 2005, Kyoto Protocol enters into force  US and Australia only developed countries not to ratify  Developing Countries (such as China and India) do not have Kyoto Commitments in the first commitment period

9. Key Concepts Mechanisms to Control Climate Change  Reduction of emissions intensity  Carbon Tax  Cap and Trade Markets  Carbon Sequestration

10. Any energy source must be meet the “Three E’s” to be viable.  Economics  Environment  Energy Supply What happens when you remove one of the legs? Evaluating Energy Sources The Three E’s

11. Economics  Capital Cost  Fuel Cost  Actual Cost of the Fuel  Stability of the price of the fuel  Maintenance Cost  Infrastructure Cost

12. Evaluating Energy Sources The Three E’s Environment  Land Use  Gas Emissions  GHG  NOx, SOx, Hg, etc  particulate  Solid Waste  Other Waste products  Other impacts  Noise pollution  Visual or Cosmetic Impacts  Social Impacts

13. Evaluating Energy Sources The Three E’s Energy Supply  Availability of the resource  Availability of Fuel  Availability of Sites  Availability of Raw Materials  Political Stability  Technology for use of the resource  Maturity  Construction Time  Reliability  Capacity Factors

14. EEE Comparison

15. Coal

16. Coal: Pros Economics  Low cost fuel  Moderate O&M Environment  “Clean coal” technology is possible Energy Supply  Readily available  Mature Technology  Domestic Fuel  >70% Capacity Factor

17. Coal: Cons Economics  High initial cost  High cost for “clean coal” (scrubbers, sequestration, carbon tax) Environment  Emissions (SOx, NOx, CO 2, Mercury)  Solid waste  Substantial mining impacts Energy Supply  Long construction time  Public opposition

18. Natural Gas

19. Natural Gas: Pros Economics  Lower capital costs Environment  Lower emissions than coal Energy Supply  Mature Technology  Short construction time  Very reliable – Could run 24/7  Very good for load following and peaking

20. Natural Gas: Cons Economics  High fuel cost  Large fluctuations in the price of natural gas Environment  Large GHG Emissions Energy Supply  Scarcity of fuel in the long term  Political instability associated to natural gas deposits  Natural gas is a valuable natural resource for other applications

21. Oil

22. Oil: Pros Economics  Moderate cost to build  Moderate O&M Environment  Mantra: “It’s better than coal.” Energy Supply  Mature Technology  Great for load following and peaking capacity

23. Oil: Cons Economics  High fuel cost  High cost for low emissions (scrubbers, sequestration, carbon tax) Environment  Emissions (SOx, NOx, CO 2, CO) Energy Supply  Politically unstable fuel supply

24. Hydroelectric Power

25. Hydroelectric Power: Pros Economics  Very low operating costs Environment  Renewable resource  Low emissions  No other waste streams Energy Supply  Mature technology  High reliability  High capacity factors seasonally

26. Hydroelectric Power: Cons Economics  High capital cost Environment  Large land use  Social impact: displacement of populations  Environmental impact: displacement of fauna and flora Energy Supply  Limited available locations  Weather and season dependent  Can’t turn it on and off  Large construction times

27. Wind Power

28. Wind: Pros Economics  Zero cost fuel  Moderate O&M Environment  Zero emissions Energy Supply

29. Wind: Cons Economics  High material cost per KW  High infrastructure cost to connect to grid due to distributed generation  Require backup power supplies or storage mechanisms for when wind isn’t blowing Environment  High land usage  Migratory bird impact  Noise pollution Energy Supply  Limited suitable locations  Public opposition  Very low capacity factors (<20%)

30. Solar Energy

31. Solar: Pros Economics  Low fuel cost (free!) Environment  Renewable  Non emitting Energy Supply

32. Solar: Cons Economics  High capital costs  High maintenance costs  Needs backup capacity installed if connected to the grid Environment  Large land use  Highly toxic waste in the manufacturing and disposal of solar panels  Visual impact on natural settings Energy Supply  Intermittent availability of fuel  Limited suitable locations  Very raw material intensive  Not a fully mature technology  Very low capacity factors (10-20%)

33. Nuclear Fission

34. Nuclear Fission: Pros Economics  Low operating costs Environment  Efficient land use  Non emitting  Small amount of contained “waste”  Promotes economic development in the area as it required highly skilled workforce Energy Supply  Uranium is abundant and exists in politically stable nations  The supply becomes almost endless (renewable!?) if breeder reactors and reprocessing are brought online  Mature Technology that has continuously improved in the last 20 years  Reliable – 24/7  Capacity factors above 90%

35. Nuclear Fission: Cons Economics  High Capital Costs Environment  Nuclear waste perception problem  Non-proliferation Energy Supply  Long construction times  Requires regulatory maturity and political stability to develop

36. Biofuels/Biomass

37. Biofuels/Biomass: Pros Economics  Very little data Environment  Carbon neutral Energy Supply  Fuel can be domestically produced – to an extent

38. Biofuels/Biomass: Cons Economics  Potentially high cost for food crops Environment  Large land usage Energy supply  Limited by production of crops and competition with food supply

39. Geothermal Energy

40. Geothermal: Pros Economics  Low operating cost Environment  Very low emissions Energy Supply  Almost a renewable resource  Drilling and steam cycle technologies are mature  Reliable 24/7  High capacity factors

41. Geothermal: Cons Economics  Moderate capital costs Environment  Alter seismic activity in the area  Needs to be carefully managed not to exhaut the source Energy Supply  Limited to suitable locations

42. Nuclear Fusion

43. Nuclear Fusion: Pros Economics  Low operating cost Environment  No emissions  Very small amount of contained low level waste Energy Supply  Reliable 24/7  High capacity factors

44. Nuclear Fusion: Cons Economics  Very large capital costs Environment  Still there are many unknowns Energy Supply  Need to produce the fuel  Technology very much in development

45. Non-Energy Sources Hydrogen Conservation

46. Hydrogen Economics  Not very  Takes 2.5X the energy output as input Environment  Depends on energy source used to generate it  Explosive Energy Supply  No delivery infrastructure  Low energy density

47. Conservation Trying to meet our future energy demands through conservation is like trying to meet our future world hunger demands by dieting. Population is expanding and higher technology will require more electricity – not less. Conservation is a personal choice. We should continue to invest research and effort towards breakthroughs in efficiency.

48. Key Concepts No energy source is perfect. They all have their pros and cons. Any nation should strive to have a balanced energy mix Policymakers, people and media should develop an unbiased method to determine which energy sources should be used where Energy sources that may not work at a national level may be perfect for a given household