Comparing the Hidden Costs of Power Generation Fuels

Civil Society Institute
Project completed in 2012.

There are many important “hidden” costs, also called “indirect” or “externalized” costs, associated with power generation. These include costs such as depletion of resources, air and water pollution, detrimental impacts on human health and the environment, and contributions to global climate change. Whether or not they can be easily expressed in monetary terms, these costs are real, and it is critical to factor them into resource planning decisions. This study reviews the literature on the major hidden costs of each generating fuel, providing detailed descriptions of these costs as well as links to key sources for further information.