tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664957094233317169.post3898743927596141646..comments2023-12-26T05:33:56.740-05:00Comments on John Hanger's Facts of The Day: This Blog Makes News On Grid Reliability: List of 231 Coal Unit Closures Is NewsJohn Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565915866938789295noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664957094233317169.post-45369152778005311692011-12-01T17:33:04.659-05:002011-12-01T17:33:04.659-05:00I was very disappointed to see current DEP Secreta...I was very disappointed to see current DEP Secretary Krancer coming out against the new EPA rules. DEP = Department of Environmental Protection, not Department of Electricity Production, right? <br /><br />PA has horrible air quality, much of that coming from plants upwind in Ohio. This stance boggles my mind.Michael Knapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678133434815647612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664957094233317169.post-85457689030577433102011-12-01T15:57:40.487-05:002011-12-01T15:57:40.487-05:00Owners of old coal plants that have not joined the...Owners of old coal plants that have not joined the 60% of coal capacity that have installed modern pollution controls have a commercial ax to grind. Calpine that owns gas generation supports the rule. Not surprising either.<br /><br />Bottom line 48,000 megawatts over 11 years is just not a problem. It is about what you would expect over a 11 year period, given equipment that fully depreciates over 40 years. <br /><br />The nation right now has about 140,000 megawatts of excess capacity. Or 140,000 mw capacity over and above the 15% reserve margin required.<br /><br />Then we build 15,000 to 20,000 mw per year without breaking a sweat. The US has built 70,000 mw in one year.<br /><br />Then we have demand response that is increasing rapidly. A 13,000 mw increase last year alone.<br /><br />5 grid operators have said that they would like an individual plant reliability safety valve in the final rule. And then said they expected the safety valve to be "rarely if ever needed." MISO is one of the five. <br /><br />For sure there is a financial incentive for owners to keep plants running without pollution controls for as long as they can get away with it. The reliability claim has been used in this situation for the 27 years I have been involved with utility regulation. But here the numbers are clear as I have ever seen.John Hangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06565915866938789295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664957094233317169.post-71417542017115633082011-12-01T15:26:30.259-05:002011-12-01T15:26:30.259-05:00John: Maybe you missed the story below. To be fa...John: Maybe you missed the story below. To be fair, even MISO has concerns about the implementation schedule for some of EPA's rules. I have heard similar comments from AEP, Luminant, Southern Co. (EEI members), etc. Concerns are being raised by organizations that don't have a political axe to grind. Even NERC, cited above, has expressed concern about the confluence and timing of the various regulations. <br /><br />Many of these organizations have cited a likely labor shortage for retrofitting or constructing new plants to replace these that are closing over a concentrated period of time as the real issue.<br /><br />http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/compliance-timing-for-epa-regulations-threatens-midwest-reliability-134785173.htmlCarbon Blacknoreply@blogger.com