An analytic framework to assess future electricity options in Kosovo

Environmental Research Letter | IOP Science

2016

We have developed an analytic platform to analyze the electricity options, costs, and impacts for Kosovo, a nation that is a critical part of the debate over centralized versus distributed electricity generation and the role of fossil fuels versus cleaner electricity options to meet growing demands for power. We find that a range of alternatives exists to meet present supply constraints all at a lower cost than constructing a proposed 600 MW coal plant. The options include energy efficiency measures, combinations of solar PV, wind, hydropower, and biomass, and the introduction of natural gas. A 30 EUR ton–1 shadow price on CO2 increases costs of coal generation by at least 330 million EUR. The results indicate that financing a new coal plant is the most expensive pathway to meet future electricity demand.

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Authors

Institute

  • Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, USA

  • Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA

  • Kosovo Civil Society Consortium for Sustainable Development (KOSID), Kosovo

  • Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, USA