Delivering a Low-Carbon Electricity System: Technologies, Economics and Policy

Meeting targets aimed at tackling the climate change challenge requires moving towards a low-carbon economy. These targets can only be met with major reductions in carbon emissions from the electricity sector. Written by a team of leading academics and industry experts, Delivering a Low Carbon Electricity System analyses the social, technological, economic and political issues that affect the attempt to create a low-carbon electricity sector and assesses the main instruments for achieving this aim. The book begins by looking at how low-carbon generation technologies might be added in sufficient quantity to the electricity system. Next, it examines how networks and the demand side can help to decarbonise the sector. It then highlights the role of innovation and discusses instruments for promoting technological progress. Finally, given the economic framework and technological possibilities, it presents a number of general and specific policy instruments and options for the future.

A systematic analysis of the issues surrounding the creation of a low-carbon electricity sector.

Michael Grubb is Chief Economist at the UK Carbon Trust and Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Economics and at the Electricity Policy Research Group (EPRG), University of Cambridge. He is also Visiting Professor of Climate Change and Energy Policy at Imperial College London.

Tooraj Jamasb is Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Economics and Electricity Policy Research Group (EPRG) at the University of Cambridge.

Michael G. Pollitt is Reader in Business Economics at the Judge Business School and Assistant Director of the Electricity Policy Research Group, University of Cambridge. He is also Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics and Management at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.