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THERMAL DISCHARGES AND PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT 1
Author(s) -
Hanke Steve H.,
Boland John J.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1972.tb05167.x
Subject(s) - damages , incentive , subsidy , natural resource economics , liberian dollar , business , investment (military) , government (linguistics) , resource (disambiguation) , thermal pollution , renewable energy , public policy , environmental economics , economics , engineering , waste management , finance , market economy , economic growth , political science , computer network , linguistics , philosophy , electrical engineering , politics , computer science , law
The generation of electric energy in steam‐electric power plants is accompanied by the discharge of large quantities of waste heat into the environment. In most cases, this heat is released into natural bodies of water at temperatures relatively close to ambient. In certain locations, such as the Chesapeake Bay, discharges of waste heat may triple in the next decade. It is expected that past practices of thermal discharge, if continued into the future, will result in significant damages to other legitimate users of the water resource, both present and future. This paper reviews the economic causes of these potential damages, and describes the role of public policy as one of removing such causes through regulation incentive or intervention. Possible public policies are reviewed, including prohibition, standards, various types of dollar incentives such as taxes and subsidies, marketable effluent permits, and direct government investment. The innovative power plant siting program recently adopted in Maryland is also discussed. It is concluded that no statements can be made regarding the comparative efficiency or effectiveness of the various policies at the present state of knowledge. It is recommended that policy‐makers adopt mixed strategies, preserving as many options as possible for dealing with similar problems in the future.