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Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs has published a blockbuster study, “Realistic Costs of Carbon Capture.” The paper concludes that First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) carbon capture and storage plants are going to be much more expensive than most people realize:

1. The costs of carbon abatement on a 2008 basis for FOAK IGCC plants are expected to be approximately $150/tCO2 avoided (with a range $120-180/tCO2 avoided), excluding transport and storage costs….

This yields “levelised cost of electricity on a 2008 basis is approximately 10¢/kWh higher with capture than for conventional plants.“ So pick your favorite price for new coal plants — Moody’s said last year that is about 11¢/kWh — and add 10¢ and you get 20+¢/kWh.

ccs carbon capture and storage harvard greenmonktv

A silver lining of the economic downturn is that efficiency has moved to the top of the business agenda. The recently enacted U.S. stimulus package includes more than $11 billion in funding for energy efficiency funding that will hopefully achieve the trifecta of saving energy, money, and jobs. And companies of all types are embracing efficiency to cut costs while improving environmental performance.

efficiency harvard greenmonktv

IBM and researchers from Harvard University are launching a new World Community Grid project to discover organic materials to create a more efficient and lower cost solar cell. The path-breaking effort will use idle computer power from volunteers to create large supplies of new clean energy.

world community grid ibm harvard solar solar organic solar cell