Unconventional Fossil-Based Fuels: Economic and Environmental Trade-Offs

Details

• Creators:
  Toman, Michael ; Curtright, Aimee E. ; Ortiz, David S. ; Darmstadter, Joel ; Shannon, Brian
• Corporate Contributors:
  National Commission on Energy Policy (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Climate change
  • Global warming
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Fossil fuels
  • Economic impacts
  • Environmental impacts
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Rand Corporation
• Abstract:
  Both high import payments for petroleum motor fuels and concerns regarding emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are motivating interest in possible fuel substitutes. In this report, RAND researchers assess the potential future production levels, production costs, greenhouse gases, and other environmental implications of synthetic crude oil extracted from oil sands and fuels produced via coal liquefaction relative to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. The findings indicate the potential cost-competitiveness of these alternative fuels and the potential trade-offs that their deployment requires between economic and environmental considerations.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18428/dot_18428_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 708.42 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Transportation Resilience and Vulnerability Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:c23afbcfb79e8759e5aea5de0f39971bdc2b7fcdd5d26770e78fe6c53ffa4264