Energy Project Financing

The measurement of the cost of electricity is actually more than dollar and cents.  

In an average year, pollution from power plants residents about 70,000+ lost work days, 400+ premature births, 100+ hospital emergency room visits and almost 9,000 asthma attacks. [source:  The Particulate-Related Health Benefits of Reducing Power Plant Emissions, Abt Associates, 10/2000]

The cost from burning coal is even higher than most other fuels.  This more than half the US electric production.

Coal dust kills 2,000 US miners yearly, and since 1973 the federal black lung disease benefits program has cost $35 billion.

Health and environmental costs bring the total price for coal-based energy to $0.055 to $0.083 kWh.[source:  Science Magazine 8/24/01]

In comparison the cost of producing electricity from wind energy has steadily declined by more than 80% since the early 1980s.[source:  American Wind Energy Association]

Significant environmental risks are created in extracting, transporting and refining oil.  Birds and marine life are endangered by oil spills and ballast cleanouts in routine offloading operations.  Although rare, oil tanker spills can destroy our beaches and put wildlife at severe risk.

 

 

Currently, America relies heavily on foreign oil.  A reliance that has increased steadily since the early 1970s. At that time, only about a third of petroleum was being imported. Today more than half of oil needs are being provided by foreign sources.  And if nothing changes, it is expected that the US will become even more dependent on foreign oil. Estimates state that by the end of the decade 75% of oil could come from sources outside the US.

To rely on a strategic resource controlled by foreign sources puts the country at risk to political pressures and interruption in supply.  Seeking to offset this dependence by using new US sites, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, new risk arise like destroying irreplaceable ecosystems.

Plutonium and radioactive cesium, strontium, iodine and krypton is regularly produced by nuclear plants, which needs to be transported and stored safely. This waste remains lethal for thousands of generations. If to fall in the wrong hands, the plutonium can be used to make weapons.  Generating plants and storage facilities require complex security because of the security risks associated with nuclear energy.

 

 

Tags: electricity costs, energy, measurements, power plant emissions

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Around the World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.