Many economists favor a carbon tax as a way to discourage carbon emissions. Suppose such a tax were to be set at $20 per metric ton of carbon emissions (1 metric ton = 1,000 kilograms). Consider a 35% efficient coal-fired powerplant that produces 50MW of electricity. Given the carbon intensity of coal is 24gC/MJ, answer the following: a) What would the annual carbon tax be for this powerplant? Answer: $2.16 million/year b) A tree farm sequesters carbon at the rate of 5,000kg per year per acre over the 40-year life of the farm. What area of forest (in acres) would have to be planted to “offset” the powerplant’s emissions over the next 40 years (roughly the lifetime of the powerplant)? Answer: 21,600 acres c) How much could the powerplant ope
Many economists favor a carbon tax as a way to discourage carbon emissions. Suppose such a tax were to be set at $20 per metric ton of carbon emissions (1 metric ton = 1,000 kilograms). Consider a 35% efficient coal-fired powerplant that produces 50MW of electricity. Given the carbon intensity of coal is 24gC/MJ, answer the following: a) What would the annual carbon tax be for this powerplant? Answer: $2.16 million/year
b) A tree farm sequesters carbon at the rate of 5,000kg per year per acre over the 40-year life of the farm. What area of forest (in acres) would have to be planted to “offset” the powerplant’s emissions over the next 40 years (roughly the lifetime of the powerplant)? Answer: 21,600 acres
c) How much could the powerplant operators pay for the forestry project (in $/acre-year) and still have it be cheaper than paying the $20 per metric ton carbon tax? Answer: $100/acre-year
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