The Electric Ceiling: Limits and Costs of Full Electrification / David S. Rapson, James B. Bushnell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rapson, David S.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Bushnell, James B.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w30593.

NBER working paper series no. w30593

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2022.

Summary:

Electrification is a centerpiece of global decarbonization efforts. Yet there are reasons to be skeptical of the inevitability, or at least the optimal pace, of the transition. We discuss several under-appreciated costs of full, or even deep, electrification. Consumer preferences can operate in favor of and in opposition to electrification goals; and electrification is likely to encounter physical and economic obstacles when it reaches some as-yet-unknown level. While we readily acknowledge the external benefits of decarbonization, we also explore several under-appreciated external costs. The credibility and eventual success of decarbonization efforts is enhanced by foreseeing and ideally avoiding predictable but non-obvious costs of promising abatement pathways. Thus, even with all of its promise, the degree of electrification may ultimately reach a limit.

Notes:

Print version record

October 2022.