Climate change and US energy policy

We present an analysis of the ability of the US to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions in the future. The emission-reduction objectives are 20% by the year 2000 and 50% by 2010, measured relative to 1985 levels. The economic sectors studied are electricity supply, industrial manufacturing, and transportation. The near-term reductions are considered to be achievable but with significant disruptions; the long-term goals are unlikely to be achieved without new breakthroughs in technology. Electricity-supply options, such as increased use of NG and more-efficient technologies, cannot alone allow us to achieve the goals, and end-use conservation will likely be the major contributor. Policy intervention in the industrial sector could achieve significant emission reductions, but concerns about international competition are important. In the transportation sector, analysis shows that fuel-economy regulation is preferable to gasoline-price increases. © 1991.

Duke Scholars

Author Gale Allen Boyd Social Science Research Institute