Niroo Research Institute Journal of Energy and Economic Development 2821-2061 1 1 2022 06 28 Drivers of CO2 Emissions from Power Plants in Selected Fossil Fuel-Producing Countries 1 9 150989 10.30503/jeedev.2022.283004.1011 EN Vahid Ghorbani Pashakolaie Assistant Professor, Department of energy economics, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Iran Kioumars Heydari Assistant Professor, Department of energy economics, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Iran Mohammad Sayadi Assistant Professor, Department of energy economics & Resources, Kharazmi University, Iran Journal Article 2021 04 24 Fossil fuel-producing countries have access to low-cost primary energy sources, which could be converted into cheap secondary energies like electricity. Although, it is worth noting that this process always generates a high rate of emissions. Most of the energy-related emissions in fossil fuel-producing countries are caused by power plants. This study focuses on data from seven major fossil fuel-producing countries of the Middle East from 2000 to 2018. These countries include Bahrain, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The analysis is based on a dynamic panel data model using GMM techniques. The results show that switching from oil-fired power plants to natural gas-fired power plants does not reduce power plant CO₂ emissions. However, fuel switching could be an effective climate policy in cases where electricity is generated by burning low-quality oil products. Our analysis also indicates that by increasing the thermal efficiency of power plants, CO₂ emissions in fossil fuel-producing countries could be reduced. To conclude, we recommend incorporating power plant efficiency improvements into emission reduction efforts in fossil fuel-producing counties. https://jeedev.nri.ac.ir/article_150989_1084d054fd0577ec7dea73f0f307b684.pdf