Berkeley Lab’s innovative methodology reveals $249 billion in climate and air quality benefits from wind and solar energy

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a groundbreaking methodology for estimating the value of climate and air quality benefits from wind and solar energy generation. A recent report using this methodology analyzed data from 2019 to 2022 and found that wind and solar power provided $249 billion in climate and air quality health benefits over that period.

Renewable energy advocates argue that the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is insufficient to compare the economics of wind and solar power generation with those of fossil fuel sources. Emissions from natural gas and coal-fired power plants, including carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), significantly impact climate and air quality and should be taken into account when assessing the benefits of renewable energy.

Berkeley Lab researchers used publicly available electricity generation data to divide the continental United States into ten regions where wind or solar power meets at least 3% of electricity demand. An 11th region with a cluster in Tennessee was excluded because it did not meet the thresholds. The methodology measures daily production from solar, wind, gas and coal sources by region, averaging annual emissions data due to lags in the availability of daily emissions data.

The report shows that in 2022, 1.0 MWh of wind energy will offset 0.89 MWh of fossil fuel production (0.29 MWh from coal and 0.60 MWh from gas). Similarly, 1.0 MWh from solar energy offset 0.76 MWh from fossil fuels (0.14 MWh from coal and 0.62 MWh from gas). These offsets are ambiguous due to factors such as loss of transmission from renewable sources, curtailment issues and absorption by battery storage, which were not included in the analysis.

To put a monetary value on the climate and air quality benefits of reducing emissions, scientists used reports published in scientific journals. They referenced a 2022 paper in Nature on the social costs of carbon emissions and a 2019 paper in Environmental Research Letters on the social costs of pollutants such as SO2 and NOx.

Taking into account generation equalization and the social costs of emissions, scientists calculated the health benefits of generating energy from renewable sources. The generation of 435.6 TWh of wind energy in the US in 2022 prevented the emissions of 228,798 kilotons (KT) of CO2, 116 KT of SO2 and 129 KT of NOx, resulting in health benefits of $62.4 billion. Solar power generation, producing 116.1 TWh, prevented emissions of 45,729 KT CO2, 15 KT SO2, and 28 KT NOx, providing $11.6 billion in health benefits.

Scientists say their new methodology shows that the benefits of generating energy from renewable sources are much higher than previously estimated. This could strengthen the case for increasing wind and solar penetration in the US. Additionally, analytical tools could be adapted globally once sufficient data is available. “The relatively simple data needed for our approach increases its adaptability to other regions around the world,” the researchers said.

This new methodology can play a key role in promoting the adoption of renewable energy, highlighting its significant benefits for the climate and public health.

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