Choosing an energy future: the environmental impact of end-use technologies

This study proposes a methodology for evaluating energy technologies accord ing to their environmental impact, both for the present and future. The met hodology emphasizes the use of quantitative data relating to six key parame ters: the quality, quantity and renewability of the available energy used a nd the maintainability, efficiency and sustainability of the end-use techno logies. These parameters are incorporated into an original objective functi on that obtains a value for each of the energy-technology-environment inter actions. This methodology was applied to three separate scenarios relating to Mexico's future energy use in order to evaluate the environmental impact of ten end-use technologies. This approach is applicable to any nation or region interested in making informed choices about its energy future. (C) 1 999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.