Energy production and use touch our lives in countless ways. We are reminded of the cost of energy every time we fill up at the gas pump, pay an electricity bill, or purchase an airline ticket. Energy use also has important indirect impacts, not all of which are reflected in current energy prices: depletion of natural resources, degradation of the environment, and threats to national security arising from a growing dependence on geopolitically unstable regions for some of our energy supplies. These indirect impacts could increase in the future if the demand for energy rises faster than available energy supplies. Our nation's challenge is to develop an energy portfolio that reduces these impacts while providing sufficient and affordable energy supplies to sustain our future economic prosperity. The United States has enormous economic and intellectual resources that can be brought to bear on these challenges through a sustained national effort in the decades ahead. America's Energy Future is intended to inform the development of wise energy policies by fostering a better understanding of technological options for increasing energy supplies and improving the efficiency of energy use. This summary edition of the book will also be a useful resource for professionals working in the energy industry or involved in advocacy and researchers and academics in energy-related fields of study. America's Energy Future examines the deployment potential, costs, barriers, and impacts of energy supply and end-use technologies during the next two to three decades, including energy efficiency, alternative transportation fuels, renewable energy, fossil fuel energy, and nuclear energy, as well as technologies for improving the nation's electrical transmission and distribution systems.
Author(s): Phase1 Committee on America's Energy Future, National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 650
Cover ......Page 1
Frontmatter ......Page 2
Foreword ......Page 8
Preface ......Page 12
Acknowledgments ......Page 16
Acknowledgment of reviewers ......Page 20
Contents ......Page 22
Executive summary ......Page 26
Part 1 ......Page 32
1 context and challenges ......Page 34
The current u.s. energy system ......Page 36
Challenges to transforming energy production and use ......Page 50
The role of technology ......Page 52
Strategy for addressing the study charge ......Page 55
Report organization ......Page 58
References ......Page 59
2 key findings ......Page 60
Finding 1: technology deployment options ......Page 63
Finding 2: energy savings from improved efficiency ......Page 65
Finding 3: options for increasing electricitysupplies and changing the supply mix ......Page 74
Finding 4: modernizing the nation’s power grid ......Page 85
Finding 5: continued dependence on petroleum ......Page 87
Finding 6: reducing greenhouse gas emissions ......Page 93
Finding 7: technology research,development, and demonstration ......Page 98
Finding 8: barriers to accelerated technology deployment ......Page 101
References ......Page 104
3 key results from technology assessments ......Page 106
Energy efficie ncy ......Page 107
Alternative transportation fuels ......Page 114
Renewable energy ......Page 119
Fossil-fuel energy ......Page 127
Nuclear energy ......Page 134
Electricity transmission and distribution ......Page 140
References ......Page 144
Part 2 ......Page 158
4 energy efficiency ......Page 160
Energy use in the united states and thepotential for improved energy efficiency ......Page 161
Energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings ......Page 166
Energy efficiency in transportation ......Page 180
Energy efficiency in industry ......Page 200
Energy efficiency policies and programs:experience and lessons learned ......Page 216
References ......Page 227
Conversion of coal and biomass to liquid fuels ......Page 236
Feedstock supply ......Page 238
Conversion technologies ......Page 244
Costs, co2 emissions, and supply ......Page 258
Deployment of alternative transportation fuels ......Page 269
Environmental impacts beyond greenhouse gas emissions ......Page 273
Barriers to deployment ......Page 275
Technologies ready for deployment beyond 2020 ......Page 277
Other transportation-fuel options readyfor deployment by 2020 and 2035 ......Page 283
References ......Page 292
Current status of renewable electricity ......Page 296
Resource base ......Page 300
Renewable technologies ......Page 304
Costs ......Page 317
Environmental impacts ......Page 324
Deployment potential ......Page 328
Deployment scenarios ......Page 334
Non-electricity renewable energy ......Page 343
Conclusion ......Page 347
References ......Page 348
7 fossil-fuel energy ......Page 356
Oil, gas, and coal resources ......Page 359
Electric power generation with fossil fuels ......Page 383
Geologic storage of co2 ......Page 421
Environmental quality and safety issues ......Page 428
References ......Page 436
Annex 7.a: fossil fuels ......Page 440
8 nuclear energy ......Page 470
Technologies ......Page 473
Costs ......Page 488
Potential for future deployment ......Page 496
Potential barriers ......Page 502
Impacts ......Page 507
Findings ......Page 519
References ......Page 525
Annex 8.a: nuclear reactor technologies ......Page 528
Annex 8.b: alternative fuel cycle technologies ......Page 542
Annex 8.c: projected costs for evolutionary nuclear plants ......Page 551
Annex 8.d: environmental impacts of nuclear technologies ......Page 558
Annex 8.e: safety and security impacts of nuclear technologies ......Page 578
References for annexes 8.a–8.e ......Page 583
9 electricity transmission and distribution ......Page 588
Background ......Page 589
A modern electric t&d system ......Page 600
Costs of modernization ......Page 617
Potential benefits of a modern t&d system ......Page 619
Barriers to deploying a modern t&d system ......Page 624
Deploying a modern t&d system ......Page 627
Findings and conclusions ......Page 629
References ......Page 633
Annex 9.a: supporting information ......Page 636
Appendixes ......Page 664
Appendix a: committee and staff biographies ......Page 666
Appendix b: meeting participants ......Page 684
Appendix c: america’s energy future project ......Page 690
Appendix d: principal units and conversion factors ......Page 694
Appendix e: select acronyms and abbreviations ......Page 698
Index ......Page 710
