Carbon emissions are causing climate change that has the ability to drastically affect life as we know it. Carbon is emitted as a byproduct of electricity generation by many power plants and other fossil fuel burning technologies. Low carbon technologies have been implemented to reduce these emissions. The Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) uses both a natural gas-powered turbine and a steam-powered turbine to increase a power plant’s overall efficiency. The GTCC also produces less carbon emissions than a traditional gas or coal power plant.

Methods exist to reduce carbon emissions, one major one being carbon capture sequestration (CCS).  CSS removes and compresses carbon from a power plant and then stores it in various underground locations or reused in enhanced oil or gas recovery.

Other methods of clean energy generation exist, that do not require the use of fossil fuels and give off no emissions.  Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) works very similarly to the Gas Turbine Combined Cycle by utilizing steam-powered turbines that are heated up by concentrated light. These three methods for energy use and electricity production are up and coming methods as efforts to cut back on rising carbon emissions.

Authors: Justin Sandler and Eric Gallant