Pollution ranking of new technologies

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-1992

Abstract

A method for estimating the pollution cost to society is presented that should help evaluate the relative societal benefit of new technologies. Thus, for every new process that is developed, one must factor in environmental costs to arrive at more realistic product costs. All new technologies should be compared on such a basis to arrive at the most competitive alternative. The method is illustrated with a new coal-burning power plant where reduction of SO2 emissions results in a reduction of the societal cost of electricity by 50%. The relative cost of electricity without SO2 control is 4.1c/kWh, and the cost of electricity with SO2 scrubbing is 4.2c/kWh. The implication is that it pays for a utility to scrub SO2 because it will avoid societal costs in the long run. Had the two numbers been very different, prudent management could then question the merits of either alternative. © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Identifier

34249832676 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Systems Integration

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02265077

e-ISSN

15738787

ISSN

09254676

First Page

249

Last Page

261

Issue

3

Volume

2

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