IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v189y2024ics0301421524001393.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Short-run marginal emission factors neglect impactful phenomena and are unsuitable for assessing the power sector emissions impacts of hydrogen electrolysis

Author

Listed:
  • Ricks, Wilson
  • Gagnon, Pieter
  • Jenkins, Jesse D.

Abstract

This comment reacts to Ruhnau and Schiele’s (2023) assessment of the cost and emissions impacts of electrolytic hydrogen production operating under different green hydrogen certification requirements in the EU. We critique the paper’s use of short-run marginal emissions rates to estimate emissions impacts, a methodology which the literature has shown to be inadequate for assessing the full lifecycle emissions impacts of electricity sector interventions. We hope that our response clarifies the need to consider induced structural change when assessing the greenhouse gas emissions impacts of electricity sector decisions at all scales.

Suggested Citation

  • Ricks, Wilson & Gagnon, Pieter & Jenkins, Jesse D., 2024. "Short-run marginal emission factors neglect impactful phenomena and are unsuitable for assessing the power sector emissions impacts of hydrogen electrolysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:189:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524001393
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114119
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421524001393
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114119?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hawkes, A.D., 2014. "Long-run marginal CO2 emissions factors in national electricity systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 197-205.
    2. Ruhnau, Oliver & Schiele, Johanna, 2023. "Flexible green hydrogen: The effect of relaxing simultaneity requirements on project design, economics, and power sector emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    3. Stephen P. Holland & Erin T. Mansur & Andrew J. Yates, 2022. "Decarbonization and Electrification in the Long Run," NBER Working Papers 30082, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Filippo Beltrami & Fulvio Fontini & Monica Giulietti & Luigi Grossi, 2022. "The Zonal and Seasonal CO2 Marginal Emissions Factors for the Italian Power Market," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(2), pages 381-411, October.
    2. Heydarzadeh, Zahra & Mac Kinnon, Michael & Thai, Clinton & Reed, Jeff & Brouwer, Jack, 2020. "Marginal methane emission estimation from the natural gas system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Powell, Siobhan & Martin, Sonia & Rajagopal, Ram & Azevedo, Inês M.L. & de Chalendar, Jacques, 2024. "Future-proof rates for controlled electric vehicle charging: Comparing multi-year impacts of different emission factor signals," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    4. Fleschutz, Markus & Bohlayer, Markus & Braun, Marco & Henze, Gregor & Murphy, Michael D., 2021. "The effect of price-based demand response on carbon emissions in European electricity markets: The importance of adequate carbon prices," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    5. Zhong-Hua Tian & Ze-Liang Yang, 2016. "Scenarios of Carbon Emissions from the Power Sector in Guangdong Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Pereira da Cunha, Jose & Eames, Philip, 2016. "Thermal energy storage for low and medium temperature applications using phase change materials – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 227-238.
    7. Bruno, August & Weber, Paige & Yates, Andrew J., 2023. "Can Bitcoin mining increase renewable electricity capacity?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    8. Bahamonde-Birke, Francisco, 2020. "Who will bell the cat? On the environmental and sustainability risks of electric vehicles: A rejoinder," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 358-360.
    9. Bardwell, Louise & Blackhall, Lachlan & Shaw, Marnie, 2023. "Emissions and prices are anticorrelated in Australia’s electricity grid, undermining the potential of energy storage to support decarbonisation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    10. Kun Mo LEE & Min Hyeok LEE, 2021. "Uncertainty of the Electricity Emission Factor Incorporating the Uncertainty of the Fuel Emission Factors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-14, September.
    11. Pimm, Andrew J. & Palczewski, Jan & Barbour, Edward R. & Cockerill, Tim T., 2021. "Using electricity storage to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PA).
    12. Daniels, Laura & Coker, Phil & Potter, Ben, 2016. "Embodied carbon dioxide of network assets in a decarbonised electricity grid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 142-154.
    13. Beltrami, Filippo & Burlinson, Andrew & Giulietti, Monica & Grossi, Luigi & Rowley, Paul & Wilson, Grant, 2020. "Where did the time (series) go? Estimation of marginal emission factors with autoregressive components," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    14. Staffell, Iain, 2015. "Zero carbon infinite COP heat from fuel cell CHP," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 373-385.
    15. Chaparro, Iván & Watts, David & Gil, Esteban, 2017. "Modeling marginal CO2 emissions in hydrothermal systems: Efficient carbon signals for renewables," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 318-331.
    16. Daneshzand, Farzaneh & Coker, Phil J & Potter, Ben & Smith, Stefan T, 2023. "EV smart charging: How tariff selection influences grid stress and carbon reduction," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    17. Leurent, Martin & Da Costa, Pascal & Jasserand, Frédéric & Rämä, Miika & Persson, Urban, 2018. "Cost and climate savings through nuclear district heating in a French urban area," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 616-630.
    18. Shan, Rui & Kittner, Noah, 2024. "Allocation of policy resources for energy storage development considering the Inflation Reduction Act," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    19. Jānis Krūmiņš & Māris Kļaviņš, 2023. "Investigating the Potential of Nuclear Energy in Achieving a Carbon-Free Energy Future," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-31, April.
    20. Roux, Charlotte & Schalbart, Patrick & Assoumou, Edi & Peuportier, Bruno, 2016. "Integrating climate change and energy mix scenarios in LCA of buildings and districts," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 619-629.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:189:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524001393. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.