Download or read book Prospects for Coal in Electric Power and Industry written by Richard J. Campbell and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-03-13 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For most of the twentieth century, the primary use of coal in the United States was for electric power generation, and for most of the history of power generation in the United States, coal has been the dominant fuel used to produce electricity. Even as recently as 2011, coal was the fuel used for almost 42% of power generation in the United States accounting for 93% of coal use. Industrial uses represented the remaining 7%. However, in April 2012, coal's share of the power generation market dropped to about 32% (according to Energy Information Administration statistics), equal to that of natural gas. Coal was the fuel of choice because of its availability and the relatively low cost of producing electricity in large, coal-burning power plants which took advantage of coal's low-priced, high energy content to employ economies of scale in steamelectric production. However, coal use for power generation seems to be on the decline, and the magnitude of coal's role for power generation is in question. Two major reasons are generally seen as being responsible: the expectation of a dramatic rise in natural gas supplies, and the impact of environmental regulations on an aging base of coal-fired power plants. A recent drop in natural gas prices has been enabled by increasing supplies of natural gas largely due to horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking) of shale gas formations. If the production can be sustained in an environmentally acceptable manner, then a long-term, relatively inexpensive supply of natural gas could result. Decreased natural gas prices are lowering wholesale electricity prices, stimulating a major switch from coal to gas-burning facilities. The electric utility industry values diversity in fuel choice options since reliance on one fuel or technology can leave electricity producers vulnerable to price and supply volatility. However, an “inverse relationship” may be developing for coal vs. natural gas as a power generation choice based on market economics alone, and policies which allow one fuel source to dominate may come at the detriment of the other. Coal-fired power plants are among the largest sources of air pollution in the United States. More than half a dozen separate Clean Air Act programs could possibly be used to control emissions, which makes compliance strategy potentially complicated for utilities and difficult for regulators. Because the cost of the most stringent available controls, for the entire industry, could range into the tens of billions of dollars, some power companies have fought hard and rather successfully to limit or delay regulations affecting them, particularly with respect to plants constructed before the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 were passed. The expected retirement of approximately 27 GW of coal-fired capacity by 2016 has been reported to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) by coal plant owners and operators, accounting for approximately 8.5% of U.S. coal-fired capacity. While the costs of compliance with new Environmental Protection Agency regulations are a factor, several other issues are cited by coal plant owners and operators as contributing to these retirement decisions including the age of coal-fired power plants, flat to modest electricity demand growth, the availability of previously underutilized natural gas combined-cycle power plants, and the lower price of natural gas due to shale gas development. Even coal plants which have made significant modifications to meet existing EPA regulations are being closed or mothballed due to a combination of low natural gas prices, and the inability to sell power into other markets. EIA expects coal to be a significant part of the U.S. power generation industry's future to well past 2030. But given price competition from natural gas, and emerging environmental regulations, that role will likely be smaller than in recent decades. Coal-fired generation is likely to face a challenging future.
Download or read book Global Prospects for U S Coal and Coal Technologies written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy Research and Development and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Prospects for Advanced Coal Technologies written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology (2007). Subcommittee on Energy and Environment and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Coal in the U S Energy Market written by Richard L. Gordon and published by Lexington, Mass. : Lexington Books, c1978, 1979 printing.. This book was released on 1978 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book International Energy Outlook written by and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book World Coal written by Richard L. Gordon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-06-24 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 1987 book looks in detail at the production and consumption trends, the pattern of international trade, the coal market in the major regions, and at how public policy influenced the development of coal. It also examines the likely future trends, and draws conclusions for policy towards coal.
Download or read book USSR written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Coal written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1995-06-13 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was given a mandate in the 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPACT) to pursue strategies in coal technology that promote a more competitive economy, a cleaner environment, and increased energy security. Coal evaluates DOE's performance and recommends priorities in updating its coal program and responding to EPACT. This volume provides a picture of likely future coal use and associated technology requirements through the year 2040. Based on near-, mid-, and long-term scenarios, the committee presents a framework for DOE to use in identifying R&D strategies and in making detailed assessments of specific programs. Coal offers an overview of coal-related programs and recent budget trends and explores principal issues in future U.S. and foreign coal use. The volume evaluates DOE Fossil Energy R&D programs in such key areas as electric power generation and conversion of coal to clean fuels. Coal will be important to energy policymakers, executives in the power industry and related trade associations, environmental organizations, and researchers.
Download or read book Chinese Coal Industry written by and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book USSR Coal Industry Problems and Prospects written by National Foreign Assessment Center (U.S.) and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Prospects for Future World Coal Trade written by and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Electric Power Annual written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication provides industry data on electric power, including generating capability, generation, fuel consumption, cost of fuels, and retail sales and revenue.
Download or read book Annual Outlook for U S Coal written by and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book U S Coal and the Electric Power Industry written by Richard L. Gordon and published by Johns Hopkins University Press. This book was released on 1975 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Replacing Oil and Natural Gas with Coal written by United States. Congressional Budget Office and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book U S Coal Development written by United States. General Accounting Office and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This report presents our analysis of the prospects for developing America's vast coal resources ... to assist our analysis, we selected two energy scenarios--the Bureau of Mines (high-growth) energy forecast through the year 2000, and the Edison Electric Institute low-growth scenario ..."--Letter of transmittal
Download or read book Outlook for the Illinois Coal Industry written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
