Future of Electric Power Generation Technologies: Environmental and Economic Comparison

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate and describe eight different types of power generation technologies and to understand the history and future trends of each technology. In addition, a comparative analysis between these technologies will be presented with respect to their cost analysis and associated performance.





References:
[1] Energy.gov. 2021. (online) Available at: <https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/Elem_Coal_Studyguide.pdf>.
[2] Carbon Brief. 2020. Mapped: The World’S Coal Power Plants In 2020. (online) Available at: <https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants>.
[3] Mishra, P., 2017. How Coal Power Plant Works? - Do You Know? - Mechanical Booster. (online) Mechanical Booster. Available at: <https://www.mechanicalbooster.com/2017/12/coal-power-plant.html>.
[4] Naturalgas.org. 2013. » History Naturalgas.Org. (online) Available at: <http://naturalgas.org/overview/history/>.
[5] Naturalgas.org. 2013. » Electrical Uses Naturalgas.Org. (online) Available at: <http://naturalgas.org/overview/uses-electrical/>.
[6] Statista. 2021. Installed Natural Gas Generation Capacity Globally 2050 | Statista. (online) Available at: <https://www.statista.com/statistics/217252/global-installed-power-generation-capacity-of-natural-gas/>.
[7] Afework, B., Hanania, J., Stenhouse, K. and Donev, J., 2018. Simple Cycle Gas Plant - Energy Education. (online) Energyeducation.ca. Available at: <https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Simple_cycle_gas_plant>.
[8] Brian Williams. 2020. Combined Cycle Power Plants - Power Generation Technologies. (online) Available at: <https://www.briangwilliams.us/power-generation-technologies/combined-cycle-power-plants.html>.
[9] World Nuclear Association. Outline History of Nuclear Energy (online) Available at: < https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/outline-history-of-nuclear-energy.aspx>.
[10] Power Technology. Global nuclear power capacity expected to reach 536GW by 2030 (online) Available at: <https://www.power-technology.com/comment/global-nuclear-power-capacity-expected-reach-536gw-2030/>.
[11] Cameco.com. n.d. Cameco U101 - Types of Reactors. (online) Available at: <https://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/electricity-generation/types-of-reactors/>
[12] Solar News. n.d. History of Solar Energy: Timeline & Invention of Solar Panels | Energysage. (online) Available at: <https://news.energysage.com/the-history-and-invention-of-solar-panel-technology/>.
[13] bp global. n.d. Renewable Energy | Energy Economics | Home. (online) Available at: <https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy/renewable-energy.html>
[14] Irena.org. n.d. Solar. (online) Available at: <https://www.irena.org/solar>
[15] Eia.gov. 2020. History of Wind Power - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (online) Available at: <https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/history-of-wind-power.php>
[16] Energy.gov. n.d. How Do Wind Turbines Work? (online) Available at: <https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work>.
[17] Society, N., n.d. Biomass Energy. [online] National Geographic Society. Available at: <https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biomass-energy/>
[18] Wbdg.org. 2016. Biomass for Electricity Generation | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide. (online) Available at: <https://www.wbdg.org/resources/biomass-electricity-generation>
[19] Conserve Energy Future. n.d. History of Geothermal Energy (And Emergence Over the Years). (online) Available at: <https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/geothermalenergyhistory.php>
[20] Eia.gov. n.d. Geothermal Power Plants - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (online) Available at: <https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/geothermal/geothermal-power-plants.php>
[21] Irena.org. n.d. Hydropower. (online) Available at: <https://www.irena.org/hydropower>
[22] National geographic. Hydropower, explained (online) Available at: <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/hydropower/>
[23] ElProCus - Electronic Projects for Engineering Students. n.d. Types and Working Functionality of Hydroelectric Energy Power Plants. (online) Available at: <https://www.elprocus.com/types-and-working-functionality-of-hydroelectric-energy-power-plants/>
[24] IEA. n.d. Coal. (online) Available at https://www.iea.org/fuels-and-technologies/coal
[25] The Conversation. 2019. Explaining the Increase in Coal Consumption Worldwide. (online) Available at: <http://theconversation.com/explaining-the-increase-in-coal-consumption-worldwide-111045>
[26] Solar Power Europe. (online) Available at https://www.solarpowereurope.org/global-market-outlook-2019-2023/
[27] Our Energy Policy. (online) Available at https://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DNV-GL_-Energy-Transition-Outlook-2017_renewables_lowres-single_0109.pdf
[28] IEA. n.d. Bioenergy. (online) Available at https://www.iea.org/fuels-and-technologies/bioenergy
[29] IEA. n.d. Other Renewables - Fuels & Technologies - IEA. (online) Available at: <https://www.iea.org/topics/renewables/geothermal/>
[30] IEA. n.d. Hydropower - Fuels & Technologies - IEA. (online) Available at: <https://www.iea.org/topics/renewables/hydropower/>
[31] International Renewable Energy Agency. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2018. (online) Available at: <https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/May/IRENA_Renewable-Power-Generations-Costs-in-2018.pdf >
[32] Solar News. n.d. Solar Panel Efficiency: What Panels Are Most Efficient? | Energysage. (online) Available at: <https://news.energysage.com/what-are-the-most-efficient-solar-panels-on-the-market/>
[33] Solar News. n.d. Concentrated Solar Power: What You Need To Know | Energysage. (online) Available at: <https://news.energysage.com/contentrated-solar-power-overview/>
[34] Kinhal, V., n.d. (online) Greenliving.lovetoknow.com. Available at: <https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Efficiency_of_Wind_Energy>
[35] Sciencedirect.com. n.d. Hydro Power - An Overview | Sciencedirect Topics. (online) Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/hydro-power>
[36] sciencedirect. Efficiency of geothermal power plants: A worldwide review. (online) Available at: < https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0375650513001120>
[37] Renwable Energy Institute. Recommendations for Woody Biomass Power Generation under FiT. (online) Available at: < https://www.renewable-ei.org/en/images/pdf/20161226/REI_Proposal_20161226_BiomassFIT_EN_FINAL.PDF>
[38] Atb.nrel.gov. n.d. 2019 ATB Cost and Performance Summary. (online) Available at: <https://atb.nrel.gov/electricity/2019/summary.html>
[39] Santoianni, D., 2015. Setting the Benchmark: The World's Most Efficient Coal-Fired Power Plants. (online) World Coal Association. Available at: <https://www.worldcoal.org/setting-benchmark-worlds-most-efficient-coal-fired-power-plants>
[40] Nuclear Power. n.d. Thermal Efficiency of Nuclear Power Plants. (online) Available at: <https://www.nuclear-power.net/nuclear-engineering/thermodynamics/laws-of-thermodynamics/thermal-efficiency/thermal-efficiency-of-nuclear-power-plants/>
[41] Eia.gov. 2020. (online) Available at: <https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/assumptions/pdf/table_8.2.pdf>
[42] Jacobson, M., 2020. (online) Web.stanford.edu. Available at: <https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/NatGasVsWWS&coal.pdf>
[43] IEA. Data and statistics - IEA. (online) Available at:<https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tables/?country=WORLD&energy=Electricity/>