Environmental trade-offs with the adoption of cogeneration technologies

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Environ. Econ. Manage.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0095-0696(81)90056-5· OSTI ID:6433470

Burness, H S ^[1]; Cummings, R G; Paik, I

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1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Current US Department of Energy strategies for meeting energy crises include efforts to promote the cogeneration of energy. One cogeneration allocation is the energy-saving potential involved in the cogeneration of process heat and electricity. However, cogeneration technologies often face an unfavorable economic climate due to increasingly stringent environmental standards. This paper investigates the policy options that might encourage the adoption of cogeneration technologies and still provide for an adequate level of environmental protection. That social welfare may well be best served by combinations of policy instruments related to some form of subsidy and adjustments in emission standards should certanly be of interest to those concerned with the assessment of public policy in the energy field. With improved data, one would certainly expect a characterization of the policy space, to be nonlinear, in which case trade-offs between charges in emission standards and the use of subsidies will become much more subtle. The refinement of estimates for returns to cogeneration - which more broadly reflect such things as taxes, tax credits institutional - regulatory constraints and/or costs - will provide more meaningful assessments of ranges of specific policy options related to impacting the socio-economic environment in which the cogeneration technology is viewed in the private sector. 7 references, 6 figures, 3 tables.

• OSTI ID: 6433470
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Econ. Manage.; (United States), Vol. 8:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COGENERATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ECONOMICS
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
SUBSIDIES
DEUS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
POWER GENERATION
STEAM GENERATION
290800* - Energy Planning & Policy- Heat Utilization- (1980-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
320603 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Public Utilities- (1980-)