Why marginal CO₂ emissions are not decreasing for US electricity: Estimates and implications for climate policy.

ABSTRACT: Marginal emissions of CO₂ from the electricity sector are critical for evaluating climate policies that rely on shifts in electricity demand or supply. This paper provides estimates of marginal CO₂ emissions from US electricity generation using the most recently available and comprehensive data. The estimates vary by region, hour of the day, and year to year over the last decade. We identify an important and somewhat counterintuitive finding: While average emissions have decreased substantially over the last decade (28% nationally), marginal emissions have increased (7% nationally). We show that underlying these trends is primarily a shift toward greater reliance on coal to satisfy marginal electricity use. We apply our estimates to an analysis of the Biden administra

SUBMITTER: Holland SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8872735 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature