NUCNET NEWS
THE WORLD’S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY
22 October 2007/News N°226
Renewables ‘More Sensitive To Climate Variability’ Than
Nuclear, Says Report
22 Oct (NucNet): The possible impact of climate
change on electricity production in the US is likely to influence
future technology choices and investments, according to a new
report by the country's Climate Change Science Program (CCSP).
The report*, 'Effects of Climate Change on Energy
Production and Use in the United States', was published on 18
October 2007 and is the third in a series. It evaluates emissions,
energy and the economic implications of stabilising greenhouse
gas concentrations.
According to the report, most of the impact on fossil and nuclear
electricity components is likely to come from “modest changes” in
water availability and/or cycle efficiency.
“Because renewable energy depends directly on ambient
natural resources such as hydrological resources, wind patterns
and intensity, and solar radiation, it is likely to be more sensitive
to climate variability than fossil or nuclear energy systems
that rely on geological stores,” says the report.
It says renewable energy sources are connected with climate
change in “very complex ways”, adding: “Their
use can affect the magnitude of climate change, while the magnitude
of climate change can affect their prospects for use.”
“Of the two largest US renewable energy sources, hydroelectric
power generation can be expected to be directly and significantly
affected by climate change, while biomass power and fuel production
impacts are less certain in the short term,” says the report.
The report says wind power is the fastest growing renewable
energy technology in the US with total generation increasing
to 14 billion kilowatt hours in 2005.
The coordinating lead author of the report, Thomas Wilbanks
of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
said: “This report represents the first overview of impact
vulnerabilities, opportunities, and adaptive response issues
for the energy sector in the United States.”
He said the report is notable because unlike some other sectors
of interest regarding climate change – such as water, agriculture,
and human health – the energy sector has not been the focus
of climate impact discussions over the past decade.
The first report in the series was published in May 2007 by
the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. US federal
agencies plan to deliver the remaining 19 reports during the
next year to increase scientific understanding related to climate
change.
* The third report is available in full on the CCSP web site
(www.climatescience.gov).
>> Related reports in the NucNet database (available to
subscribers)
Report Endorses Nuclear’s ‘Mitigating Role’ In
Climate Change (World Nuclear Review No. 18, 4 May 2007)
New Climate Change Report Considers ‘Widespread Development
Of Nuclear’ (News No. 166, 11 July 2007)
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Source: NucNet
Editor: john.shepherd@worldnuclear.org
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