New models yield clearer picture of emissions' true costs

Costs of fossil fuels sharply rise when health, environment factored in

Duke University

DURHAM, N.C. - When its environmental and human health toll is factored in, a gallon of gasoline costs us about $3.80 more than the pump price, a new Duke University study finds.

The social cost of a gallon of diesel is about $4.80 more than the pump price; the price of natural gas more than doubles; and coal-fired electricity more than quadruples. Solar and wind power, on the other hand, become cheaper than they initially seem.