A REVIEW ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION: ECONOMIC INPUT-OUTPUT VS. PROCESS-BASED LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Our paper aims at contrasting the use of two alternative approaches usually used for the assessment of the environmental implications of electricity generation: Economic Input-Output Life-Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) and Process-based Life Cycle Assessment (PLCA). EIO-LCA is a top-down approach intertwined with the environmental satellite accounts provided by the national statistical office. The EIO-LCA analysis uses economic input-output (IO) tables and industrial sector level environmental/energy data allowing broad impact coverage of all sectors directly and indirectly involved with electricity generation. P-LCA is a bottom-up approach, in which a detailed modelling of the various electricity technologies is performed following a life cycle perspective that entailing a higher level of detail. The paper provides a brief overview of both methodologies and corresponding assumptions, followed by the discussion of the major drawbacks and strengths inherent to their application to the electricity sector.