US Coal On Track For Record Capacity Decline, Closing 15.4 Gigawatts
The closure of coal-fired power plants across the United States is currently on track to set a new record this year, with at least 22 plants in 14 states worth 15.4 gigawatts (GW) going dark, according to a new report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) currently expects a total of 15.4 GW of coal-fired capacity to close during 2018 — made up of 44 units at 22 plants in 14 states across the United States. Already this year 11 GW has been closed, and IEEFA expects the trend to continue through to the end of the year, “easily” exceeding the record 14.7 GW worth of coal-fired generation capacity which was closed in 2015.
“The competitive environment for coal-fired power in the generation marketplace is becoming ever more challenging as the price of renewables continues to fall and as natural gas prices are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future,” said Seth Feaster, and IEEFA data analyst and author of the report.
What’s interesting — especially if we look at the reality for the coal industry on the ground, as compared to the political hot-air that takes up so much space — is that there is an incredible dichotomy between what politicians are saying and who is actually in control, and the decisions they are making.
“Meanwhile, the coal industry, while it may loom large in the imagination and in some small regions of the country, is actually quite small, both in terms of jobs and its overall economic contribution nationally.”\
Plain global economics and the reality of what is happening. Even chucking bigger subsidies at it is not going to change the facts. Much as I really love steam locomotives they are not ever coming back as a means of mass transportation - their time passed, they are not environmentally friendly, and the world has moved on. Prepare and support transition rather than trying to delude people.
See https://cleantechnica.com/2018/10/29/us-coal-on-track-for-record-capacity-decline-closing-15-4-gigawatts/
#coal
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The closure of coal-fired power plants across the United States is currently on track to set a new record this year, with at least 22 plants in 14 states worth 15.4 gigawatts (GW) going dark, according to a new report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) currently expects a total of 15.4 GW of coal-fired capacity to close during 2018 — made up of 44 units at 22 plants in 14 states across the United States. Already this year 11 GW has been closed, and IEEFA expects the trend to continue through to the end of the year, “easily” exceeding the record 14.7 GW worth of coal-fired generation capacity which was closed in 2015.
“The competitive environment for coal-fired power in the generation marketplace is becoming ever more challenging as the price of renewables continues to fall and as natural gas prices are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future,” said Seth Feaster, and IEEFA data analyst and author of the report.
What’s interesting — especially if we look at the reality for the coal industry on the ground, as compared to the political hot-air that takes up so much space — is that there is an incredible dichotomy between what politicians are saying and who is actually in control, and the decisions they are making.
“Meanwhile, the coal industry, while it may loom large in the imagination and in some small regions of the country, is actually quite small, both in terms of jobs and its overall economic contribution nationally.”\
Plain global economics and the reality of what is happening. Even chucking bigger subsidies at it is not going to change the facts. Much as I really love steam locomotives they are not ever coming back as a means of mass transportation - their time passed, they are not environmentally friendly, and the world has moved on. Prepare and support transition rather than trying to delude people.
See https://cleantechnica.com/2018/10/29/us-coal-on-track-for-record-capacity-decline-closing-15-4-gigawatts/
#coal
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US Coal On Track For Record Capacity Decline, Closing 15.4 Gigawatts | CleanTechnica The closure of coal-fired power plants across the United States is currently on track to set a new record this year, with at least 22 plants in 14 states worth 15.4 gigawatts (GW) going dark, according to a new report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis |
from Danie van der Merwe - Google+ Posts https://ift.tt/2Jsq5E8
via IFTTT
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