Scenarios for a clean energy future

This paper summarizes the results of a study-Scenarios for a Clean Energy F uture-that assess how energy-efficient and clean energy technologies can ad dress key energy and environmental challenges facing the US. A particular f ocus of this study is the energy, environmental, and economic impacts of di fferent public policies and programs. Hundreds of technologies and approxim ately 50 policies are analyzed. The study concludes that policies exist tha t can significantly reduce oil dependence, air pollution, carbon emissions, and inefficiencies in energy production and end-use systems at essentially no net cost to the US economy. The most advanced scenario finds that by th e year 2010, the US could bring its carbon dioxide emissions three-quarters of the way back to 1990 levels. The study also concludes that over time en ergy bill savings in these scenarios can pay for the investments needed to achieve these reductions in energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissi ons. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.