Martin I. Hoffert

TL;DR: It is concluded that a broad range of intensive research and development is urgently needed to produce technological options that can allow both climate stabilization and economic development.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine barriers and opportunities associated with these difficult-to-decarbonize services and processes, including possible technological solutions and research and development priorities, and examine the use of existing technologies to meet future demands for these services without net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere.

TL;DR: The special challenges associated with an energy system that does not add any CO2 to the atmosphere (a net-zero emissions energy system) are reviewed and prominent technological opportunities and barriers for eliminating and/or managing emissions related to the difficult-to-decarbonize services are discussed.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors employ a carbon-cycle/energy model to estimate the carbon-emission-free power needed for various atmospheric CO2 stabilization scenarios, and find that CO2 stabilization with continued economic growth will require innovative, cost-effective and carbon emission-free technologies that can provide additional tens of terawatts of primary power in the coming decades.