Posted on 03/13/2015 2:41:44 AM PDT by lowbridge
Energy companies are preparing to shut down nearly 16 gigawatts of power by the end of this year as the deadline for compliance with new federal environmental regulations looms.
In total, some 85 coal-fired generating units at 36 locations are expected to close in the coming months in part because of Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The largest set of retirements is set for June, when electricity demand starts to peak as Americans turn on their air conditioners for the summer. Most of these retirements will come from coal-fired power plants in Appalachia.
We are currently showing nearly 300 GW of in-service coal capacity at the end of December 2014, so 13 GW would represent a reduction of approximately 4.3%, U.S. Energy Information Administration economist Tim Shear told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
This may not sound like a huge number, but US electricity markets are traditionally balkanized so if much of these retirements take place in a small region, the balancing authorities in those areas will have to plan accordingly, Shear said.
Utilities are looking to close smaller, less efficient coal plants by the end of this year before the EPAs Mercury Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, kick in,according to EIA.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
The EPA wants each state to come up with its own Clean Power Plan to meet federally established goals. If the states fail to do that, the EPA claims that they can impose a federal solution. In the meantime, it can cut off any state who chooses non-compliance with from federal highway funds.
Laurence Tribe, a liberal constitutional scholar and Harvard professor has written that the EPA’s latest rules are unconstitutional.
Not surprisingly, all of this has received very little press attention.
That is manageable. It is the rolling blackouts in the winter that will destroy property and kill people.
In GA the majority of folks use gas heat. But probably a lot don’t. In the summer like July and August if you don’t have AC you can seriously expire. It is so hot you can’t breath. Poor old folks down in the projects etc die every summer here because they only have a fan or don’t even have that.
I don't think that lack of A/C due to lack of electricity is going to change that since that disparity has been true since before A/C. It is basically the fact that heat can be alleviated rather easily, adapted to, etc, but cold wears you down.
I think you are right when referring to the NE. Winter is the killer. Here in the South summer is the killer. We don’t get that cold here and it only lasts for 3 mos.
bookmark
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