Carbon Control in the U.S. Electricity Sector: Key Implementation Uncertainties

Congress has been debating a range of potential initiatives for reducing atmospheric CO2 from U.S. sources. …In the 110th Congress, the most prominent CO2 proposals sought reductions of nationwide CO2 emissions to 1990 levels or lower by 2030. President-elect Barack Obama has proposed cutting carbon CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and by an additional 80% by 2050.

A fundamental question arising from carbon control proposals is how the CO2 reduction targets can be achieved in the electricity industry, which is responsible for nearly 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions. It appears from the policy research and technical studies that substantially reducing CO2 emissions in the U.S. electricity sector over the next few decades would likely require every key carbon mitigation measure at the nation