The National Research Council has released a report that examines various forms of energy and then estimates the hidden costs associated with each, such as health damage from air pollution. Among its conclusions? The many advantages of natural gas not only as a vehicle fuel but also as an electrical power source.
Believe it or not, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles showed somewhat higher nonclimate damages than many other technologies. Although operating electric vehicles and plug-ins produces few or no emissions, producing the electricity to power them relies heavily on fossil fuels. Also, energy used in creating the battery and electric motor adds up to 20 percent to the manufacturing part of life-cycle damages.
By comparison, the report notes that “vehicles using ethanol made from corn stover or herbaceous feedstock such as switchgrass had some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, as did those powered by compressed natural gas.” Of course natural gas is the only fuel type that can replace diesel fuel to power an 18-wheeler, and the technology is already in use.
Numerous other conclusions can be found in the report, which is titled “Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use.” For instance, the report points out that coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S., emitting on average about a ton of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour of electricity produced. By comparison, burning natural gas generated far less damage than coal, both overall and per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated. Estimated climate damages from natural gas were half that of coal, ranging from 0.05 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Read more from the report HERE.