Sorry Donald, US coal plant retirements second highest ever

[Bourbon]

US coal plant retirements second highest ever - Belch





https://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fu...hest-ever.html

When I wrote about Spanish miners embracing the closure of mines, one commenter questioned my assertion that US coal was declining too. And they were right—at least as far as coal production is concerned.

Consumption, and consumption capacity, however is another matter.

In fact, Bloomberg News Energy Finance (found via the good folks at Cleantechnica) reports that coal power plant closures will hit their second highest year on record, at least as far as capacity is concerned:

This year’s widespread closures were headlined by the retirement of four massive Vistra plants in the ERCOT (Texas) market. Coal plants retiring this year produced 127,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2017, enough to power 12 million homes.

And nobody appears to be in a rush to be building new capacity either. Interestingly, alongside competition from cheaper natural gas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance points to the "zero marginal cost" nature of renewables as one of the factors putting pressure on the viability of coal. As Mike noted back in 2015 (the only year to beat the current one for coal plant closures), the fact that solar and wind have extremely low marginal costs once they are up and running means they can afford to undercut coal for baseload power at almost any price—leading to what some have referred to as "death by capacity factor".

[Fentoine Lum]

But Mexico is stil gonna pay for The Wall which starts on "day one", right?

[kudzu]

US coal plant retirements second highest ever - Belch





https://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fu...hest-ever.html

When I wrote about Spanish miners embracing the closure of mines, one commenter questioned my assertion that US coal was declining too. And they were right—at least as far as coal production is concerned.

Consumption, and consumption capacity, however is another matter.

In fact, Bloomberg News Energy Finance (found via the good folks at Cleantechnica) reports that coal power plant closures will hit their second highest year on record, at least as far as capacity is concerned:

This year’s widespread closures were headlined by the retirement of four massive Vistra plants in the ERCOT (Texas) market. Coal plants retiring this year produced 127,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2017, enough to power 12 million homes.

And nobody appears to be in a rush to be building new capacity either. Interestingly, alongside competition from cheaper natural gas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance points to the "zero marginal cost" nature of renewables as one of the factors putting pressure on the viability of coal. As Mike noted back in 2015 (the only year to beat the current one for coal plant closures), the fact that solar and wind have extremely low marginal costs once they are up and running means they can afford to undercut coal for baseload power at almost any price—leading to what some have referred to as "death by capacity factor".

Father Trump can promise anything to his children.........

[mak2]

Fake News. Ooops channeling my inner Trump.

[Bourbon]

Father Trump can promise anything to his children.........

i think children are smarter.

[Jack]

Trump knows how to get Votes.

Tip: Hillary telling Coal Miners she is going to take their Jobs ... ISN'T how you get Votes.

[Nordberg]

Trump knows how to get Votes.

Tip: Hillary telling Coal Miners she is going to take their Jobs ... ISN'T how you get Votes.

Not what she said. It is just how the reds repeated it. The fact is that coal is dropping in America and employment has dropped too. The trend is clear. The future of coal country can be renewable energy. Those are long term jobs for the future. Coal is not. Hillary was bit clumsy in the explanation.

[Fentoine Lum]

i think children are smarter.

Guarantee ya CFM's ain't.

[Nordberg]

Guarantee ya CFM's ain't.

Neither are Trumps.

[RB 60]

Maybe you liberals shouldn't celebrate these hard working coal miners are losing their jobs. It's a fact that many of them are union members, don't many unions and their membership tend to vote Dem?

[kudzu]

Trump knows how to get Votes.

Tip: Hillary telling Coal Miners she is going to take their Jobs ... ISN'T how you get Votes.

Actually what Hillary proposed was government-funded retraining for other jobs that would NOT soon be obsolete.

[kudzu]

Maybe you liberals shouldn't celebrate these hard working coal miners are losing their jobs. It's a fact that many of them are union members, don't many unions and their membership tend to vote Dem?

Unions have been in steep decline since 1950.

[RB 60]

Unions have been in steep decline since 1950.

True, but still alive in the mining business.

[kudzu]

True, but still alive in the mining business.

Well they haven't done a very good job of retaining jobs, have they?

[Robo]

Actually what Hillary proposed was government-funded retraining for other jobs that would NOT soon be obsolete.

Such as?