About the Power Sector Opportunties Fact Sheet Series

This series of fact sheets aims to shed light on these opportunities by illustrating the CO₂ emissions-reduction potential from measures in a variety of states. For example, states could build off of existing initiatives like renewable portfolio standards, energy efficiency standards, and other policies as well as use tools like greater efficiency at coal plants, increased use of combined heat and power, and fuller utilization of unused capacity at natural gas plants. We show how emissions savings from these existing policies and infrastructure stack up against the reductions that could be required under forthcoming standards.

概要

President Obama announced the first-everNational Climate Plan对于2013年6月的美国，根据该计划，美国环境保护署（EPA）将为发电厂设定碳污染标准。2013年9月，EPA提出了新电厂的排放标准，并有望在2014年宣布现有工厂的标准。一旦EPA建立这些标准，各州将制定并实施自己的计划，以实现必要的排放减少。

在此情况说明书中，WRI研究了科罗拉多州如何使用其现有政策和基础设施来减少发电厂的排放。

Executive Summary

WRI分析发现，到2020年，科罗拉多州可以将其二氧化碳排放量降低29％。这些减少将达到或超过中等雄心勃勃的EPA发电厂排放标准。尽管EPA尚未宣布其发电厂排放标准的外观，但WRI基于两个假设标准的分析。在这些情况下，到2020年，科罗拉多州将要求科罗拉多州的二氧化碳排放量低于2011年的28％至37％。

CO2 reduction opportunities using existing policies include:

  • Meeting renewable energy targets.科罗拉多州有一个可再生能源标准，需要其电力生产商出售的一些电力来自可再生能源：投资者拥有的公用事业公司为30％，最大的电力合作社为20％，较小的电力合作社和大型城市的10％和10％。Meeting this requirement by adding new renewable generation in Colorado will reduce CO2 emissions by 7 percent below 2011 levels in 2020.

  • 满足能效目标。Colorado’s existing efficiency standard requires utilities to implement programs that help customers save energy.Meeting this standard can reduce Colorado’s CO2 emissions by 5 percent below 2011 levels in 2020.

使用可用基础设施的二氧化碳减少机会包括：

  • Using more combined heat and power (CHP).Colorado has the potential to use more CHP systems—which use waste heat to generate electricity more efficiently than the average power plant—at sites like universities, hospitals, and manufacturing facilities.在2020年，将CHP的使用增加约30％可以将CO2排放量降低2％。

  • 增加现有天然气电厂的使用。Colorado’s most efficient natural gas plants–combined cycle (NGCC) units—generated much less electricity than they were capable of producing in 2011.Running existing NGCC plants at 75 percent can reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent below 2011 levels in 2020.

  • 提高现有的燃煤电厂效率。Existing coal plants could save energy by upgrading their equipment and making other operational improvements.到2020年，提高燃煤电厂效率可以降低二氧化碳排放量低于2011年的水平1％。

如果科罗拉多州迄今为止，科罗拉多州可以遵守现有发电厂的中等雄心勃勃的标准。削弱或废除现有措施将使达到排放标准更加困难。采取额外的行动可以帮助国家实现更大的减少排放，并遵守雄心勃勃的标准，如果EPA追求它们。例如，扩大现有的能源效率标准以每年在所有公用事业中每年节省2％的能源，这是一种具有成本效益的方法，可以在中期到中期实现严格的标准。