An estimation of environmental costs of coal-based thermal power generation in India

Assessment of the costs of environmental degradation of energy use is very important for policy analyses on the one hand and the proper management of the environment on the other. In recent years, some attempts have been made in developed countries to estimate certain environmental costs, especially those related to the electricity sector. However, the environmental costs of electricity generation in developing countries can also be quite important. An attempt has been made in this paper to estimate the environmental costs of coal-based thermal power generation in India. It is found that the costs of environmental impacts are small but not insignificant and results are sensitive to assumptions regarding atmospheric conditions and wind speed. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.