And Now the Really Big Coal Plants Begin to Close

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Climatewire

ENERGY

And Now the Really Big Coal Plants Begin to Close

Old, small plants were the early retirees, but several of the biggest U.S. coal burners—and CO2 emitters—will be shuttered by year’s end

By Benjamin Storrow, E&E News on August 16, 2019



The Navajo Generating Station, near Page, Ariz., is scheduled to close this year. It's one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the U.S. power sector. Credit: David Wall Getty Images

When the Navajo Generating Station in Arizona shuts down later this year, it will be one of the largest carbon emitters to ever close in American history. ... The giant coal plant on Arizona’s high desert emitted almost 135 million metric tons of carbon dioxide between 2010 and 2017, according to an E&E News review of federal figures. ... Its average annual emissions over that period are roughly equivalent to what 3.3 million passenger cars would pump into the atmosphere in a single year. Of all the coal plants to be retired in the United States in recent years, none has emitted more.

The Navajo Generating Station isn’t alone. It’s among a new wave of super-polluters headed for the scrap heap. Bruce Mansfield, a massive coal plant in Pennsylvania, emitted nearly 123 million tons between 2010 and 2017. It, too, will be retired by year’s end (Energywire, Aug. 12).

And in western Kentucky, the Paradise plant emitted some 102 million tons of carbon over that period. The Tennessee Valley Authority closed two of Paradise’s three units in 2017. It will close the last one next year (Greenwire, Feb. 14).

“It’s just the economics keep moving in a direction that favors natural gas and renewables. Five years ago, it was about the older coal plants becoming uneconomic,” said Dan Bakal, senior director of electric power at Ceres, which works with businesses to transition to clean energy. “Now, it’s becoming about every coal unit, and it’s a question of how long they can survive.”
....

The end of the Navajo Generating Station also means the end of the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad, which delivers coal to the generating station.

Western Railroad Discussion > The End of an Era.

Western Railroad Discussion > BMLP Sunday

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Irony in this story is,

the Navajo Station,which my Father in Law did all the final Boiler Hook ups during Construction,sits in a high desert plain perfect for Wind and Solar. Page Arizona which was built to provide Housing for this Power Plant will now see a massive out flow of people. Again,zero planning by those who are in charge.

Interesting question is,where will all the Electricity needed to run all those high capacity Water Pumps that supply Phoenix,Tucson and the Salt River Prodject going to come from.


The best end result is,you will be able to see the real beauty of the Grand Canyon from both sides of the River now.

[hunter]

3. I hope they leave the desert alone. No solar, no wind.

There are plenty of parking lots, roofs, and other wastelands they could install solar on.

Many of the pumping stations on the California State Water Project run at full capacity when electricity is cheap and throttle back when it's not.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. If you ever get the chance,

take the drive from Ferdona Arizona thru Page and on down to Keyanta . Think you might change your mind on the Solar and Wind.

[hunter]

5. That's some vile stuff, tribally owned or not.

Wind turbines and solar panels installed on previously undisturbed lands do not give me the warm fuzzies.

That land is now as dead as any pesticide and herbicide saturated GMO corn field.

It's the same sort of false environmentalism that puts ethanol in gasoline.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Sorry if I caused heart burn.

Still make the drive please.

[mountain grammy]

2. Amazing. Thanks for posting