National Assessment Of Energy Policies

Presented in nontechnical terms, this book offers a unique and powerful conceptual framework for analysis of energy technologies (standard and alternative) in terms of their respective dollar costs, environmental costs, and national security costs. Energy technologies examined include coal, nuclear, oil, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass and biogas, energy conservation and efficiency, ocean power, hydrogen, electric power and transmission, and transportation. This three-point framework allows examination of issues and problems associated with implementation of U.S. energy policies in the context of major social goals (such as growth and equity), with treatment of conflicts and trade-offs between energy development and other social values (such as health and safety, cultural, historical, and aesthetic values). These are the key political issues for policy makers formulating national energy policy and decisions makers implementing it.

This national policy statement (NPS) sets out national policy for the energy infrastructure. A further five technology-specific NPSs for the energy sector cover: fossil fuel electricity generation (EN-2) (ISBN 9780108510786); renewable electricity generation (both onshore and offshore) (EN-3) (ISBN 9780108510793); gas supply infrastructure and gas and oil pipelines (EN-4) (ISBN 9780108510809); the electricity transmission and distribution network (EN-5) (ISBN 9780108510816); and nuclear power generation (EN-6) (ISBN 9780108510823). An Impact assessment is also available (ISBN 9780108510830). The NPSs have effect on the decisions by the Infrastructure Planning Commission on application for energy developments. This statement outlines the Government's objectives for the power sector in order to meet its energy and climate change strategy. It sets out the need for new energy infrastructure and the assessment principles and generic impacts.

The Advanced Research Institute (ARI) on "The Application of Systems Science to Energy Policy Planning" was held under the auspices of the NATO Special Programme Panel on Systems Science in collaboration with the National Center for Analysis of Energy Sys tems, Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA, as a part of the NATO Science Committee's continuous effort to promote the advancement of science through international cooperation. Advanced Research Institutes are sponsored by the NATO Science Committee for the purposes of bringing together senior scientists to seek consensus on an assessment of the present state of knowl edge on a specific topic and to make recommendations for future research directions. Meetings are structured to encourage inten sive group discussion. Invitees are carefully selected so that the group as a whole will contain the experience and expertise neces sary to make the conclusions valid and significant. A final report is published presenting the various viewpoints and conclusions. The NATO Systems Science Panel noted that the systems approach is increasingly being applied to energy policy analysis and plan ning in both public and private sectors of national economies. Consequently, it seemed appropriate at this time to bring together experts to review and evaluate recent experience, in order to iden tify strengths and weaknesses in current prac tice, and to make recommendations for research directions.

Fossil fuels are a finite resource, and their continued use as the world's dominant energy supply is damaging the environment. Future use of alternative methods of energy supply is inescapable, and this book explores the historical origins, technical features, marketability, and environmental impacts of the complete range of sustainable energy technologies: solar, biomass, wind, hydropower, geothermal power, ocean-energy sources, solar-derived hydrogen fuel, and energy storage. The aim is to inform policy analysts and decision makers of the options available for sustainable energy production. The book is therefore written so as to be accessible to an audience from a broad range of backgrounds and scientific training. It will also be a valuable supplementary text for advanced courses in environmental studies, energy economics and policy, and engineering.