The Carbon Footprint of our Primary Energy Sources supplies readers with a comprehensive, accessible analysis of the carbon footprints of a range of primary energy sources including crude oil, natural gas, coal, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectric energy and nuclear energy, and biofuels, and their carbon footprints, employing a full lifecycle assessment (LCA) of each primary energy source. It furnishes both the foundation and a tool for estimating carbon footprints for a range of energy systems. The work culminates in a cost-benefit analysis of these primary energy sources.
With the significant uptick of global investment in alternative energies and the global focus on reducing emissions, this text delivers an important foundational overview/understanding of these systems, and an opportunity for teachers and readers to apply learnings to their own energy consumption choices.
Table of Contents
1. Our energy mix and our carbon footprint2. The carbon footprint of crude oil
3. The carbon footprint of natural gas
4. The carbon footprint of coal
5. The carbon footprint of solar energy
6. The carbon footprint of wind energy
7. The carbon footprint of geothermal energy
8. The carbon footprint of hydroelectric energy
9. The carbon footprint of nuclear energy
10. The carbon footprint of biofuels
11. Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Utilization
12. A Comparison of energy sources
Authors
Mukul Sharma Professor, Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, USA.Mukul M. Sharma is Professor and holds the "Tex� Moncrief Chair in the Department of Petroleum, Geosystems & Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin where he has been for the past 40 years. He served as Chairman of the Department from 2001 to 2005. His current research interests include hydraulic fracturing, oilfield water management, energy transition strategies, formation damage and improved oil recovery. He has published more than 550 journal articles and conference proceedings and has 21 patents. He founded Austin Geotech Services an E&P consulting company in 1996. He also co-founded Layline Petroleum in 2006 and Polaris Lithium in 2018 (both companies had very successful exits in 2013 and 2024), He also co-founded Navidad Energy in 2017 and and Geothermix, LLC in 2020. Sharma has a B. Tech in chemical engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MS and PhD in chemical and petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Sharma is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and an Honorary Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). He is the recipient of the 2017 John Franklin Carll Award and the 2009 Lucas Gold Medal, SPE's highest technical awards. He has also received the 2004 SPE Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award, the 2002 Lester C. Uren Award, and the 1998 SPE Formation Evaluation Award. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of both IIT Kanpur and USC. He served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2002, has served on the Editorial Boards of many journals, and taught and consulted for industry worldwide.
