Decarbonizing Europe's power sector by 2050 : analyzing the implications of alternative decarbonization pathways

In this paper, the implications of alternative decarbonization pathways for Europe's power sector up until the year 2050 are analyzed. In specific, an electricity system optimization model is used to investigate the minimal costs of decarbonization under a stand-alone CO2 reduction target and to quantify the excess costs associated with renewable energy targets and politically implemented restrictions on alternative lowcarbon technologies, such as nuclear power. Our numerical simulations con firm the theoretical argumentation concerning counterproductive overlapping regulation. The decarbonization of Europe's power sector is found to be achieved at minimal costs under a stand-alone CO2 reduction target (171 bn €2010). Additionally implemented RES-E targets lead to significant excess costs of at least 237 bn €2010. Excess costs of a complete nuclear phase-out in Europe by 2050 are of the same order of magnitude (274 bn €2010). -- Electricity ; CO2 target ; renewable target ; excess costs ; optimization model