Posted on 04/07/2015 5:27:22 AM PDT by thackney
American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) is preparing to close six coal-fired power plants in four states on May 31 to comply with stricter federal emissions standards.
Columbus, Ohio-based AEP recently gave notices of the closures to the states and to workers at the Philip Sporn, Kammer and Kanawha Valley plants in West Virginia, the Muskingum River Plant in Ohio, the Tanners Creek Plant in Indiana and the Glen Lyn Plant in Virginia. The notices are required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
More than 250 workers will be affected by the plant shutdowns, which were announced by AEP in 2011.
Carmen Prati-Miller, an AEP spokeswoman, said the company plans to retire more than 6,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation in seven states by the beginning of 2016.
(Excerpt) Read more at power-eng.com ...
Black outs and brown outs will necessarily increase along with the price of electricity.
We don’t need these jobs...heck, Obama lama ding dong says we have 5.5% unemployment....it’s all good.
Sales of Gas Turbine Generators are up.
When I worked in the utility business, keep the meters turning was the unwritten but clearly communicated first rule.
When will the American people have enough of these petty tyrants?
You won’t have to worry about keeping those meters turning once the blackouts kick in or the electricity gets so expensive people decide to go off-grid.
WILL be interesting when the power goes out on the east coast who the media will blame. Guess its time to get that gas fired generator I have been putting off.
Natural Gas Technology
https://www.aep.com/about/IssuesAndPositions/Generation/Technologies/NaturalGas.aspx
Gas-Electric Harmonization
An AEP Perspective
https://www.aep.com/about/IssuesAndPositions/Generation/docs/GEH_white_paper.pdf
American Electric Power (AEP) is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5.3 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 Megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. We will have retired 6,586 MW of coal-fired generation by the EPA MATS deadline next year.
Currently, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. – the regional transmission organization that oversees a large portion of the nation’s electric grid from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast – has announced retirement of 13,000 MW of capacity by mid-2015, including the AEP retirements. Its current total capacity is approximately 169,000 MW. Since 2007/08, 9,800 MWs of coal-fired generation has already been retired within PJM’s footprint.
AEP believes strongly in the merits of fuel diversity to generate electricity. In 2002, AEP’s fuel mix was 78 percent coal. Today, coal-fueled power plants account for approximately 60 percent of AEP’s generating capacity, while natural gas represents 23 percent and nuclear 5 percent. The remaining capacity (12 percent) comes from wind, hydro, pumped storage and other sources, including energy efficiency. By 2026, we project that our coalfueled generating capacity will drop to 45 percent, while natural gas capacity will increase to 33 percent.
I think it’s too bad the leaders of AEP won’t match their generator shut-downs with rolling black-outs in areas that are predominantly Democrat.
They could call it just another example of the Lois Lerner “fair-allocation” rule...
Liberal Idiots working in coal plants and coal mines:
"Oh Goody, Goody! Hopey-Changey! Hopey-Changey! We will vote for you and then vote for you again"
....and untold thousands of family members, store and restaurant workers, service workers, and millions of people who depend on the stream of electrons and dollars from those plants..........AND FOR WHAT? A NON-EXISTENT GLOBAL WARMING HYSTERIA THAT IS BEING USED TO DESTROY CIVILIZATION AND FREEDOM.........................
Nah, AEP has invested heavily on WIND FARMS down in Texas. (snark)
It may not just affect the closing power plants. AEP also gets coal from Appalachia and has a fleet of coal barges and trains operating to deliver this to the plants.
wonder how it will affect them.
I’ve also heard that AEP was planning to close some coal plants in Texas that burn low sulfur Wyoming coal and local Lignite.
Glad I retired from AEP years ago, and others I worked with are bailing out.
Announced 2016 retirements include Northeastern Station, Unit 4, in Oklahoma, and Welsh, Unit 2, in Texas.
EP said in 2011 it planned to close 14 plants in the years to come, including the six slated to cease generation by June, Ridout said the utility has made plans to “get rid of as much coal as possible” in the retiring plants’ stockpiles.
I believe GA has been ordered to close 2 plants. They are going to keep it up til the grid goes down at least regionally. Although I suspect the end game is rationing. That’s what the smart meters are all about.
WE are scoping out off grid solar for our mountain retreat. With most appliances on propane a 3-5 KW system will run everything else. Of course we will have to kiss AC goodbye and heat with a woodstove. Its going to come down to that if we don’t get the EPA gone or under control.
The EPA is nuts. I work in the gas industry. When the Marcellus was new I was always amazed at the lack of electricity on site. I said, “With all this natural gas why not put in a gas fired generator and produce some electricity?” I was told the paperwork and regulations made it not feasible.
I see DC had a small black out today caused from an explosion at a power plant. I predict this August a major black out due to lack of supply.
I have no doubt you are right.
That’s what HMOs and socialized healthcare are about - rationing!
Leftists love shortages.
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