Tom Casten explains how to unleash affordable, clean energy generation for the U.S.

Tom Casten, in the November-December issue of Cogeneration and Small Power Production Magazine, explains how to remove barriers to using energy twice. Casten argues that the United States could make major cuts to its energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions through the expanded use of clean electricity generation which makes use of “waste” heat as a fuel source.

Casten suggests a nationwide Clean Energy Standard Offer Program or CESOP, requiring all distribution utilities to offer standard rates for all new clean power that meet specified fossil efficiency targets. The standard offers can be at a discount to the cost of delivered power from the best new central option and still induce new local generation that uses energy twice, thus providing the public with guaranteed savings versus conventional generation.

The RED chairman also calls for giving all generation sources an equal responsibility for cleaner air and less carbon dioxide emissions by switching to an output based pollution allowance system.