Posted on 07/11/2017 6:38:47 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
Public Utilities Staff Executive Director Virden Jones said Thursday that he believes the unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. wants to settle on terms set by Mississippi's Public Service Commission.
The three elected commissioners said two weeks ago that Kemper should run on natural gas and not gasified lignite coal, that rates should stay level or fall, and that customers shouldn't pay for the gasifier. Last week, Mississippi Power said it was suspending efforts to complete the gasifier, which is three years behind schedule. The plant is more than $4.5 billion over budget.
Southern could have to absorb another $3.4 billion in losses on the $7.5 billion plant, after already losing $3.1 billion, if the gasifier isn't used.
If Mississippi Power doesn't settle, commissioners say they will require the company to show why the license for the entire Kemper facility shouldn't be revoked. That could mean the company wouldn't collect even the $800 million-plus already placed in rates for the part of the plant that has been burning natural gas since 2014.
(Excerpt) Read more at power-eng.com ...
Agree
The project had been repeatedly delayed and costs increased from $2.88 billion to $6.7 billion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemper_Project
Apparently, they just started digging, without any plans or specifications?
This is not, just a ‘fast track’ project gone wild, this insanity gone wild.
Not necessary. Other plants of the same technology have been completed and run. Don't know if any of them are "still" up and going, but the data has already been generated. This plant was probably put into motion before the fracking revolution, when it looked like natgas supplies were not going to be available.
The monopoly works well following a hurricane as line repair trucks from neighboring states pour in to restore power (and to get their little meters humming again). But they'll never be as arrogant as Virginia's "VEPCO".
This plant has big technical advancements over other operating gasifiers. It’s also a big scale up.
Yes, this was started long before fracking took off and advanced so far. I’d wager environmental obstruction caused huge delays, too.
Southern Co. went with a Selexol process (glycol) to scrub CO2. There is an overall efficiency penalty inherent in operating an air supply plant and coal gasifcation unit. The CO2 removal also is a parasitic load cutting efficiency. The Netpower conglomerate came up with a better method to accomplish all the same goals.
Exelon Generation, CB&I, and 8 Rivers Capital joined to build a new technology based gas turbine system which accomplishes the same goals at the same overall efficiency and cost as a combined-cycle gas turbine system. The pilot plant operating upon NG is gathering data to support expansion to commercial scale 300-500 megawatt plants. This report examines operation based upon coal synthesis gas:
http://www.gasification-syngas.org/uploads/eventLibrary/2014_11.2_8_Rivers_Xijia_Lu.pdf
likely a massive kick back operation to fund a attempt to keep the party which has been in charge in power.Millions made off sale of land, millions in contracts, a large number of the construction workers were Hispanic and could not speak English. It’s 30 miles north of us, and the plant’s boost to our economy was mainly beneficial to people who built trailer parks for the workers who lived in camper trailers. Car dealerships sold high end trucks, worked on workers vehicles.There was likely a boost in the soft industries, resturants, and sex trade. I saw Hispanics come into a restaurant and take a pic of the menu,send it to a friend and he would tell them what to order as most could not read, speak, or understand English. This has been a soup sandwich for our area. Attempts I made to get a job there failed as I was likely too old. I did have a chance to work for a company associated with the plant, that took wastewater and cleaned it of particulate so it could be used in the cooling towers. But there were “accidents” with the cooling towers, I was told one got so hot it was glowing red, (over 100 feet tall)and was destroyed as far as usefulness. Seems someone had forgot to fill the tower before the test. As the submarine captain in the movie “1942” said, “this has not been a honorable thing”.
I don’t know about Virginia’s trials, but if you check out who was the CEO of Southern Company when this began (may still be CEO), you’ll note affiliations this man has with global power brokers.
When you take the ratepayers of the poorest state in their corporate boundaries (and likely the nation), and shove a debacle like this down their throats, you sure as hell aren’t worried about them. In our state government right now, the only ones that seem to be doing their jobs are the Public Service Commission, and the governor.
How so?? (Serious question...I worked for Dow Chemical when they were at the peak of their "gasification phase").
"I’d wager environmental obstruction caused huge delays, too."
I'm sure you'd win. After all, that is how the green reds killed off nuclear.
Just guessing about the technical advancements. Why else do this? (Other than getting free money from the government).
I worked at EPRI during the big gasification era. Been out of touch with that for many years.
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