Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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APPENDIX E
Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns
Table E-1 describes a broad selection of technologies that may play a role in decarbonization, example equity and justice concerns specific to each technology, and potential methods to mitigate problems and amplify equity and justice.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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TABLE E-1 Decarbonization Technologies, Their Description and Role in Decarbonization, Example Equity and Justice Concerns Specific to the Technology, and Potential Equity and Justice Amplifiers and Problem Mitigants
| Decarbonization Technology | Technology Description and Role in Decarbonization | Example Equity and Justice Concerns Specific to the Technology | Potential Equity and Justice Amplifiers and Problem Mitigants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decarbonization technologies in general—apply to all below technologies | Various technologies that reduce or eliminate emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or remove GHGs from the atmosphere. | Siting polluting infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. Participatory justice. Community benefits. Workforce opportunities. |
Develop projects that improve well-being of disadvantaged communities and that engage community members in decision-making about projects that impact them. Follow all existing air and water pollution regulations, permits, and other requirements. |
| Point source carbon capture (fossil fuel combustion emissions) | Point source carbon capture prevents some or all of the carbon dioxide from being released by a combustion facility, such as a power plant, by capturing the carbon and then using or storing it. The capture may be from the waste gas from combustion (post-combustion), or it may involve transformation of the inputs to remove carbon before combustion and prevent formation of CO2 (precombustion). This technology may be required to mitigate emissions from some fossil fuel combustion facilities where there is not a zero-emission alternative. | Local air and water emissions from the technologies used to capture the carbon dioxide, such as emissions from the power source, and from amine or other capture chemicals. Continuation of local air and water pollution from the entire fossil fuel life cycle, even though GHG emissions are reduced or eliminated. Opportunity cost: Investing in a nascent technology that allows polluting facilities to continue operation and that may not be implemented to remove GHG emissions at scale. |
Implement technologies that capture a greater portion of both GHG and non-GHG air quality emissions, such as processes with extensive gas pretreatment or precombustion capture. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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| Decarbonization Technology | Technology Description and Role in Decarbonization | Example Equity and Justice Concerns Specific to the Technology | Potential Equity and Justice Amplifiers and Problem Mitigants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point source carbon capture (industrial process emissions) | Carbon capture prevents some or all of the carbon dioxide from being released by an industrial process, such as the chemical reactions that make cement or steel from ores, or that form ethanol from biomass fermentation by capturing the carbon and then using or storing it. This technology may be required to mitigate emissions from some industrial facilities if it is not possible to replace the product or process with a non-emitting substitute. | Local air and water emissions from the technologies used to capture the carbon dioxide, such as emissions from the power source, and from amine or other capture chemicals. Continuation of local air and water pollution from the industrial process or other associated processes, even though GHG emissions are reduced or eliminated. |
Implement technologies that capture a greater portion of both GHG and non-GHG air quality emissions, such as processes with extensive gas pretreatment or precombustion capture. |
| Direct air capture | Direct air capture (DAC) is composed of industrial facilities that process air from the atmosphere to remove some of the CO2. The CO2 can then be used or stored. DAC can remove emissions that are already present in the atmosphere. | Local air and water emissions from the technologies used to capture the carbon dioxide, such as emissions from the power source, and from amine or other capture chemicals. Opportunity cost: Local air and water emissions from the processes that led to the GHG emissions being captured from the atmosphere, if DAC enables the continuation of those processes. Opportunity cost: Investing in a nascent technology that allows polluting facilities to continue operation and that may not be implemented to remove GHG emissions at scale. |
Create separate targets for emissions reductions and removals, to ensure that both are pursued concurrently. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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| Carbon dioxide utilization | Carbon dioxide utilization transforms CO2 into useful products. It may be used in a net-zero future to provide needed carbon-based products without GHG emissions, or to produce materials that act as long-term carbon storage. | Local pollution from the facilities that transform the carbon dioxide into a product. Opportunity cost: GHG emissions and local pollution from the use of the product created by carbon dioxide utilization, such as combustion of a synthetic fuel. |
Mitigate the impacts on GHG and local pollutant emissions from the full life cycle of the carbon dioxide utilization product. Place restrictions on where and when synthetic fuels can be used, to limit exposure of disadvantaged communities to combustion pollutant emissions, such as limiting to use in aviation, rather than on-road or off-road vehicles. |
| Solar and wind electricity generation | Solar and wind electricity-generating facilities collect energy from the sun or the wind and convert it to electric power. As compared to some other net-zero facilities, they can occupy a large land area. | Siting without community participation. Lack of community benefits. Pollution throughout the life cycle of the generation facilities, including inputs, manufacture, use, and disposal of the generating equipment, particularly waste disposal of solar panels and wind turbines, blades, and towers. |
Participatory siting. Development of community benefits, including community ownership of zero-carbon electricity generation. Reuse, recycling, and/or planned disposal of used generating equipment. |
| Electric transmission | Transmission lines move electric power between areas of high generation to areas of high demand. New technologies for decarbonization will likely require increased electricity use and changes in locations of generation and demand. | Preferential siting in disadvantaged communities. Lack of community benefits. Lack of participatory justice. |
Participatory siting. Development of community benefits. When planning electric system investments, consider the benefits of electric systems with fewer transmission requirements, especially those that may have enhanced resiliency, including energy storage. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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| Decarbonization Technology | Technology Description and Role in Decarbonization | Example Equity and Justice Concerns Specific to the Technology | Potential Equity and Justice Amplifiers and Problem Mitigants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipelines | Pipelines move materials such as gaseous and liquid fuels and chemicals between sources and end users. Pipelines may be developed to move CO2, hydrogen, or synthetic fuels for decarbonization. | Preferential siting in disadvantaged communities. Lack of community benefits. Lack of participatory justice. Safety risks, especially with pipeline leaks or failures. Opportunity cost: Indirectly enabling technologies with pollutant emissions, such as fossil fuel use, to make hydrogen. |
Participatory siting. Development of community benefits. Consider the environmental justice benefits of colocation of the producers and users of a commodity, which may prevent the need for pipelines, although it may increase the concentration of polluting facilities into fewer, more greatly impacted communities. |
| Mining | Some decarbonization technologies will require increased development and use of mineral resources, which will increase mining requirements in some communities, although the mining and other resource extraction requirements for production of coal, oil, and natural gas will decrease. | Local air and water pollution from mining and mineral extraction. | Develop and implement resource extraction technologies that are less polluting for nearby communities. Develop recycling technologies that allow reuse of already mined material, and avoid mining of new, virgin material. Participatory siting. Development of community benefits. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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| Biomass and biofuels | Biomass and biofuels growth consumes CO2 from the atmosphere. If all upstream process inputs like fertilizers can be made net-zero emissions, then the carbon in the product made from biomass, like a biofuel, is considered renewable. If the product is combusted or decays, it is net-zero carbon. In some circumstances, a long-lived product can be made, which—if stored for the long term—may result in net-negative carbon. | Local air and water pollution from farming and processing. Opportunity cost: Local air and water pollution from combustion of biofuel products or disposal or decay of other biobased products. |
Develop and implement biomass production technologies that are less polluting for nearby communities. Place restrictions on where and when biofuels can be used, to limit exposure of disadvantaged communities to combustion pollutant emissions, such as limiting to use in aviation, rather than on-road or off-road vehicles. |
| Hydrogen production and use as an energy carrier | Hydrogen is a zero-carbon energy carrier. It can be made from natural gas coupled to carbon capture and storage or can be generated through electrolysis with zero-carbon electricity inputs. It produces no CO2 when used in a fuel cell or combusted. | Hydrogen combustion produces some local air pollutants like nitrogen oxides. Hydrogen generation, transport, and storage introduce safety concerns for those in very close proximity. |
Prioritize hydrogen produced from electrolysis with zero-carbon electricity over production from fossil materials like natural gas with carbon capture. Participatory siting. Development of community benefits. Implement safety mitigants for communities that include hydrogen generation, transportation, and storage or use infrastructure. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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| Decarbonization Technology | Technology Description and Role in Decarbonization | Example Equity and Justice Concerns Specific to the Technology | Potential Equity and Justice Amplifiers and Problem Mitigants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear power generation | Nuclear power uses the energy in radioactive materials to power generation of electricity. Nuclear power generation facilities have very low GHG and criteria air pollutant emissions while operating. | Local air and water pollution from uranium mining, milling, and processing, and mining waste disposal. Air, water, and radiation pollution risk from accidents during nuclear power production. Air, water, and radiation pollution risk from processing, storage, transportation, disposal, and long-term management of spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive wastes (low-level, greater than Class C, and high-level). |
Significant public engagement at local and national levels. Participatory siting for reactors and fuel cycle facilities, including waste disposal sites. Development of community benefits. Develop and implement resource extraction technologies that are less polluting for nearby communities. Local, state, and federal regulatory processes for reactor and fuel cycle facilities. Mitigation of legacy uranium pollution. |
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Decarbonization Technologies and Related Equity and Justice Concerns." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25931.
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