Environ. Res. Lett. 11, 014012 (2016)

The EU plans to almost entirely decarbonize its electricity generation system by 2050. That means building lots more renewable energy generation with new storage and transmission capabilities, or developing fossil fuel plants with integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. These technologies cut greenhouse gas emissions, but they also affect the environment in different ways.

To investigate how the environmental impacts of such decarbonization would differ depending on which technology is favoured, Peter Berrill from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and colleagues combine a least-cost model of the power system that ensures projected demand is met in 2050 with a life-cycle assessment model. They find that the emissions reduction benefit of a renewables-based system outweighs any minor environmental impact it may have. Renewables do have a greater impact on mineral resource depletion than the CCS-based scenarios, but have a much lesser impact on water toxicity and nutrient levels, particulate matter formation and land occupation.

The modelling calms fears that ramping up renewables could cause unintended environmental harm that counters the benefits of transitioning to a low-carbon energy system.