It's Happening: 5 Coal-Fired Power Plants Shutting Down

Townhall.com ^ | March 1, 2012 | Erika Johnson

[Kaslin]

At the close of 2012, the EPA dictated a politically calculated--oops, I mean, for the sake of the public welfare, issued a--huge new stack of emissions regulations aiming to force coal-fired power plant operators to choose between installing pollution control equipment, switching to cleaner natural gas, or shutting down their plants. Which is good, because in 2008, President Obama did promise to bankrupt the coal industry... so, that's at least one promise he's kept, right?

Edison International (EIX) plans to shut down at least two aging coal-fired power plants in what could be a growing wave of retirements as low natural-gas and electricity prices and stricter pollution rules make many of these facilities unprofitable.

Edison will shut down its two Chicago coal-fired power plants -- one this year and one by 2014 -- rather than install pollution-control equipment to comply with state pollution limits, the company said. Edison said it also would likely shut down a third coal plant in Waukegan, Ill., and possibly others. ...

Companies are increasingly announcing plans to shut down aging coal plants as the cost of installing pollution-control equipment can exceed the value of the plant.

The Sierra Club estimates that these regulations are preventing a lot of premature deaths (I'm not sure how they think they know that), but Sen. Pat Toomey is not pleased:

But Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, said that as many as 315 people could lose their jobs.

"I am dismayed by the news that hundreds of Pennsylvanians will lose their jobs because of this impending wave of federal regulations. While I fully support sensible, existing power plant regulations to protect our air, the cumulative effect of these new rules, which are some of the costliest in the EPA's history, is overwhelming."

And while the Obama administration can certainly hope and dream that the ensuing energy vacuum will be filled by the bounteous sources of wind, solar, and other greenie endeavors, you can bet that more 'necessarily skyrocketing' electricity prices are what's for dinner.

[BipolarBob]

A lot more than five are shutting down. It is insanity. We get more mercury from China that we do our own power plants. Nature puts out 100 times more through volcanoes and vents in the earth.

[cripplecreek]

switching to cleaner natural gas

I smell a bait and switch coming like they did with clean coal. Now we have a growing clamor in Michigan to stop drilling for natural gas which was supposed to be an even better alternative to the clean coal we were promised.

[annieokie]

Well we told them so, and they still voted for this jerk. No crying on our shoulders now, you asked for it you got it.

Vote Republican next time idiots.

[manc]

and the idiots up in PA and other areas still vote for the radical left wing fools because they got flyers off their unions .

[Jonty30]

If there are brownouts, there is no better way than the Chicago way.

[The Duke]

I’ve got it all figured out. Obama’s cronies own stock in “Snuggies”.

[WestwardHo]

Here in the West power plants are in remote areas and support very small communities. If these power plants shut down the whole community dies.
What’s it like in the East where these plants are shutting down? How many supporting businesses will die with them?

[Rudder]

I've got some coal-miner-friends here in the Ohio Valley. They're working...mining coal for China.

I'd like to see a few more Nuke plants to put some compensatory megawatts on the local power grid, but for the econuts.

[Dogbert41]

We are truly running out of time to stop these people from killing us.

[kevao]

Probably not the change they were hoping for. LOL, suckers!

[Joe 6-pack]

In WWII, the German Abwehr tried to infiltrate teams into the US to harass and sabotage American infrastructure. The ability to shut down five powerplants was the stuff of their wildest dreams.

[Kaslin]

Those are probably just the first five

[NoLibZone]

Good! cut all energy to the NE.

[neverdem]

In 2010, the GOP in the average congressional district got 60 % of the white vote. That was a first. IMHO, it gets larger in 2012. The question is how much?

[wyokostur]

Ping

[GeronL]

and when we get blackouts, they will blame corporations and lack of enough billions for solar and wind.

[Chode]

The Sierra Club estimates that these regulations are preventing a lot of premature deaths

that's because people haven't started freezing in the dark yet...

[wjcsux]

Vote Republican next time idiots.
If you voted for Obama in 2008 to prove you arent't racist, vote for someone else in 2012 to prove you aren't stupid.

[MarkL]

Looking forward to rolling blackouts. You'll have a choice... Run your refrigerator or charge your electric vehicle overnight. Hey, maybe they'll develop a hybrid... A hybrid ice-box/refrigerator. You know, get back to a simpler way of living. Besides, privation is good for the soul. OK, not the soul, since that would be misconstrued as the government allowing religion. Character, yes that's it. Privation is good for the character.

Mark