The U.S. DOE least-cost utility planning program

The Total Greenhouse Warming Potential of Technical Systems: Analysis for Decision Making

“…In the utility industry, least-cost planning (essentially least life-cycle cost) is widely used for judging system additions or modifications. 23 Along with the EPA, 38 we have recommended life-cycle documentation of emissions. 18 ' 27 In the method developed here, we can account accurately for all GHG emissions that any single technical activity and its supporting infrastructure release to the atmosphere from R&D to final salvage, and for their final decay.…”

“…In this paper we present a quantitative method for accounting for all GHGs emitted from technical systems, Copyright 1992-Air & Waste Management Association for the life of each activity, to give decision makers an unambiguous basis for comparing the total greenhouse warming forcing of alternative projects or plans. This method can capture more fully than current methods all source emissions of GHGs from activities that may be separated in space and/or time, and thus characterize more exactly the technical or policy trade-offs available to decision makers who may seek to maximize other goals such as energy efficiency 22 ' 23 or reduction of total costs while minimizing risks associated with global warming. 6 ' 9 We combine known principles to yield an approach that: 1.…”