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progree

(11,912 posts)
11. Some more. And a no paywall version
Mon Mar 17, 2025, 10:24 PM
Mar 17

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2025, 12:37 PM - Edit history (3)

No paywall at this finance.yahoo hosted article (it's the Bloomberg article in the OP)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-authorizing-administration-produce-233002961.html

. . . Energy Secretary Chris Wright said earlier this month that the administration was working on a “market-based” plan to stem the closing of US coal-fired power plants. Coal accounts for about 15% of power generation in the US today, down from more than half in 2000, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

. . . An additional 120 coal-fired power plants are scheduled to shut down in the next five years in part because of environmental regulations that have made them uneconomic, according to the America’s Power trade group representing utilities and miners such as Peabody Energy Corp. and Core Natural Resources Inc.


I have read several articles over the last several months that some utilities are delaying plans for closing their coal-fired plants because of the growth of electricity demand overall, particularly with AI data centers.

While it may be uneconomical to build NEW coal-fired power plants (compared to e.g. new natural gas-fired), keeping one running that has already been built is economical in some cases, depending on a utility's current power mix. . Otherwise they wouldn't still be running them. Relaxing environmental regulations, which tRump is pushing the EPA to do, will extend their economic lives.

Plenty of utilities are building new natural gas-fired power plants as well. Wind and solar is great, but is weather-dependent. That's not a problem for a utility adding its first wind and solar power plants, but becomes increasingly problematical (requiring more and more curtailments or selling power at a loss), as the percentage increases beyond certain levels, and battery backup in the quantity needed is very expensive and getting bad publicity from utility-scale battery storage plant fires like Moss Landing.

Some of the coal-fired plants are being shut down because of state mandates, not because of economics.

As for federal agencies that produce electric power - two that I know of are the Tennessee Valley Authority (which has four coal-fired plants with a combined capacity of 7,000 MW), and Bonneville Power Administration, which has stakes in some coal-fired plants.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Just what we need, more pollution sakabatou Mar 17 #1
A lot of coal plants don't exist anymore. The government , to my knowledge, doesn't own power plants. Srkdqltr Mar 17 #2
Utility companies have spent billions on converting their coal fire plants to gas and they aren't going back ... Botany Mar 18 #25
Trump is nuts Srkdqltr Mar 18 #30
Columbus, Ohio used to be the # 1 producer of buggy whips in the world but not so much anymore the .... Botany Mar 18 #33
Coal is the most expensive way to generate power jmowreader Mar 17 #3
i thought the trend was to go to gas. mwooldri Mar 17 #6
There is another energy source..... Lovie777 Mar 17 #4
Acid Rain comes again with a dash of mercury TexLaProgressive Mar 17 #5
Even the fossil fuels industry was tired of Dump's coal fixation during his first term. Eugene Mar 17 #7
Why mess around with that modern stuff? Woodycall Mar 17 #8
Just more "culture warrior" nonsense for the slack-jawed base. PSPS Mar 17 #9
I remember fetching buckets of coal as a kid & how fucking dirty it was! RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Mar 17 #10
Some more. And a no paywall version progree Mar 17 #11
Another no-paywall link to the Bloomberg article (with more snips) nitpicked Mar 18 #17
THAT sounds like a GREAT idea! FailureToCommunicate Mar 17 #12
His administration produces energy? Oh right, tons of hot air. sinkingfeeling Mar 17 #13
Truth! Deminpenn Mar 18 #22
Bondi won't be bringing any Clean Air Act lawsuits. Marcuse Mar 17 #14
Shove it up YOUR COAL CHUTE asshole! Ziggysmom Mar 17 #15
There's a reason most coal plants closed jgmiller Mar 17 #16
One power plant in Alexandria VA was closed in 2012 nitpicked Mar 18 #18
If only the immense power of... Hugin Mar 18 #19
"directed the Environmental Protection Agency to boost fossil fuel production and distributioN" Ray Bruns Mar 18 #20
I wonder if he really believes in the "Clean Coal" myth. JohnnyRingo Mar 18 #21
The concept of "clean coal" aside, the use of coal is no longer economically feasible. Martin68 Mar 18 #24
MAOA: Makes America Obsolete Again. Martin68 Mar 18 #23
Aaannnd.... the stock market tanks even further C_U_L8R Mar 18 #26
Maybe Elon can power his "beautiful" Teslas with coal Walleye Mar 18 #27
Just a distraction JBTaurus83 Mar 18 #28
As a kid in WV, I had to wipe the coal dust off the back porch swing every day. nature-lover Mar 18 #29
Trump's idea of 'clean' coal Norrrm Mar 18 #31
I work next to a coal-fired power plant stoned Mar 18 #32
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