How Do Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Electricity Sources Compare?
Nuclear, wind, and solar power emit no greenhouse gases (GHG) when operating, but there are life-cycle emissions, in mining and refining uranium, building aluminum frames for photovoltaic (solar) panels, and manufacturing concrete and steel for wind and nuclear power. A life-cycle analysis looks at all of the costs from getting the fuel, construction and decommissioning, transportation, and operation. Several analyses exist, you can go here to see others. Solar GHG emissions are dropping as technology improves (also true for other electricity sources). Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production If nuclear electricity (rather than coal electricity) is used for uranium enrichment, nuclear life-cycle emissions drop further. Wind, solar, and nuclear are the major remaining low GHG sources of electricity, as there are few expansion possibilities for hydroelectric. Construction For some sources of energy, the major GHG emissions occur in building the plants. From Per Peterson at UC
Related Questions
- What sources of greenhouse gas emissions were included in Richmond’s community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and government operations inventory?
- How much greenhouse gas and smog-inducing emissions are displaced when we choose to buy clean, green electricity from Bullfrog Power?
- How Do Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Electricity Sources Compare?
