Energy Air Quality

NCSL Energy & Air Quality

Making the Link Between Clean Energy and Air Quality

A Product of the NCSL Clean Energy and Air Quality Working Group
September 2006

The demand for world energy is increasing rapidly. As demand grows, so does the potential for increased air pollutants. Clean energy sources—including energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean distributed generation (e.g., combined heat and power)—have the potential to meet about 50 percent of expected energy demand growth and reduce harmful environmental pollutants.1 The residential, buildings and industry sectors alone have the potential to reduce energy use by 20 percent to 30 percent by using cost-effective clean energy.2 Other clean energy sources for energy generation include nuclear energy—for its low to zero emissions profile—and advanced coal technologies. Considered collectively, these clean energy options offer long-term opportunities to improve air quality.

States frequently initiate clean energy policies to boost economic development or sustain energy resources and, consequently, attain considerable air quality benefits. For example, states that have adopted renewable portfolio standards—which require utilities to acquire a certain amount of power from renewable energy sources (e.g., wind)—are recognizing the air quality benefits of low emissions energy sources. On the other hand, policies aimed at reducing air emissions frequently result in an increase of power generation from clean energy sources.

Adobe PDF PDF Version of full report: Making the Link Between Clean Energy and Air Quality (31 pages). To view PDF files, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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