Emissions Reduction Opportunities and Regulatory Options in
the Electricity Sector
Existing sources in the electricity sector are likely to constitute the majority of GHG emissions
from this sector for decades. We focus here primarily on potential emissions reductions in
coal-fired electricity generation because it represents 50 percent of electricity generation, 80
percent of GHG emissions from electricity, and 33 percent of GHG emissions nationally
(EIA 2009). Greater emissions reductions from the electricity sector—beyond the reductions
from improvements in energy efficiency—would require fuel switching from coal to natural
gas or nonemitting generation sources, or the introduction of post-combustion controls to
capture carbon. However, CAA regulation is likely to start with opportunities for efficiency
improvements at existing facilities.
Potential Efficiency Improvements at Coal-Fired Power Plants
An analysis of 2008 data on all U.S. coal-fired power plants in the lower 48 states suggests that
there are opportunities for efficiency improvements, as shown in Figure 2, which displays the heat
rate (i.e., operating efficiency as measured by Btu per kilowatt-hour) of existing coal-fired plants