House Divided - Huge Disruptions Ahead in Coal Generation

     

Did you read the article last week about Constellation Energy wanting tighter coal power plant emission rules?

It is unfair, the Baltimore utility says, that it has invested heavily in complying with anticipated federal rules toughening standards on sulfur and nitrogen emissions. Those rules, expected to begin this year, are on hold as a result of a court stay granted in response to requests by sister coal burning utilities and others.

Unfair, says Constellation, which has spend close to $1 billion to cut emissions at two coal-burning plants that can be seen from downtown Baltimore.

The important footnote – the investments were necessary under Maryland law.

Just running the emissions equipment sucks up 40 megawatts of power, so it has been a huge commitment.

The court says it plans to hold hearings on the issue in April.

Meanwhile, Constellation says it was able to step up and clean up its act in three years – and other coal-burning utilities should do the same.

Not so fast, says American Electric Power and others. How can we invest in expensive equipment – and expect regulators to bless that investment – complying with rules not in force?

It is an interesting flare-up in the politics of energy in today’s charged political environment.

And it is hugely disruptive to energy companies.

Which is the smarter course – moving early to comply with tighter restrictions on emissions many view as inevitable? Our waiting until forced to act – when the exact requirements of the new standards are known. Or the proposals are scrapped after the reins of the White House get turned over to a Republican?

Such questions complicate utility strategic and financial planning. How can utilities best harness such disruption? That is the theme of the upcoming EnergyBiz Leadership Forum in Washington, March 19-21. Review full conference details here.  

Comments

Fri, 01/13/2012 - 6:24am

Coal to wood generation

One hectare of reference forest has a growth rate of 4.8-8.3 cubic meters per year.

How many hectares of forest might serve the power industry in USA?

How many GW they may feed with wood by their early growth rate?

How many Texas mills are needed to increase natural growth rate of forest?
http://posharp.com/energy/ptype=building_water-windmill/btype=service/xtype=ntype/companies.aspx?pg=1

How much less the unwanted emissions would be?

How much longer the life of TPPs would be due to soft wooden ash?

How many more sustainable work places may require wood generation?

How many years need TPPs to switch from coal to wood?

Chavdar Azarov

Fri, 01/20/2012 - 6:02am

If you keep adding the cars and keepmqaking the cities dirtier and dirtier of what use will be all this carbon business? Have you banned the use of disruptive fuels in crs and tractors that produce carbon di oxide?and then this whole busine of global warming?THis year temperature in Northern India has touched one degree centigrade.It was same in year 1952! Was there any global warming then>Have we exhausted all other avenues that we need to keep harping on carbon?We are still cutting trees with wild abondon. A total of 120,0000 Trees were cut when the High way next to my house was being built and all of the fruit bearing trees were cut which will not grow for next thirty years. In summer it is going to be terribly hot and winter is already terribly cold.Where isDr Pachauri who studied and lived in this city for long !!All this theory of climate change needs to be studied and policies on all actions pertaining to commerce analysed.I wonder whether we are eally on right track!

Alok Misra

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