Mandate a Man to Fish?: Technological Advance in Cooling Systems at U.S. Thermal Electric Plants

Victor M. Peredo-Alvarez (), Allen S. Bellas () and Ian Lange
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Victor M. Peredo-Alvarez: Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling
Allen S. Bellas: College of Management, Metropolitan State University

No 2015-05, Working Papers from Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business

Abstract: Steam-based electrical generating plants use large quantities of water for cooling. The potential environmental impacts of water cooling systems have resulted in their inclusion in the Clean Water Act's (CWA) Sections 316(a), related to thermal discharges and 316(b), related to cooling water intake. The CWA mandates a technological standard for water cooling systems. This analysis examines how the performance-adjusted rates of thermal emissions and water withdrawals for cooling units have changed over their vintage and how these rates of change were impacted by imposition of the CWA. Though technology standards are believed to hinder technological progress, results show that progress occurred for cooling systems installed after the CWA and no progress occurred previous to it.

Keywords: Water Withdrawals; Thermal Pollution; Innovation; Environmental Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 16 pages
Date: 2015-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene and nep-env
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http://econbus-papers.mines.edu/working-papers/wp201505.pdf First version, 2015 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mns:wpaper:wp201505

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