The lifetime pollution implications of various types of electricity generation

The UK economy wide, lifecycle implications of 8 forms of electricity generation for the emission of 3 air pollutants - CO2, SO2, and NOx - are examined. The lifecycle of the generating stations is considered in 3 phases: construction, operation and decommissioning. The methodology used is input-output analysis, which allows the calculation of the total pollution effects, throughout the economy, of any economic activity. The comparison for each case is with old coal technology, and the considered forms of electricity generation give substantial lifecycle emission reductions for all 3 types of pollutants. In each case, much of the largest reduction is attributable to the operating phase.