T.V.A. Agrees to Shutter 18 Generators That Use Coal

[phantom power]

When I hear 'A variety of electricity sources' I tend to visualize my daughter asking me 'what's in a hot dog?'
But still, decommissioning coal plants sounds like a good thing.
:thumbsup:

In a sweeping legal settlement, the Tennessee Valley Authority has agreed for the first time to reduce its overall capacity to generate coal-fired electricity, promising to close 18 of its coal-burning generators over the next six years while spending $3 billion to $5 billion on pollution controls on any remaining units that use coal.

The accord, announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency, will bring about one of the most significant cuts in coal-fired power generation by any utility that relies heavily on coal in its fuel mix. The closings will eliminate 16 percent of the authority’s coal-fired capacity, and the accord holds out the prospect that some or all of another 18 units will shut down as well, for a total loss of as much as a third of the authority’s coal-burning capacity.

...

Besides a commitment to shutter 18 coal-fired generating units, the utility said that the additional 18 units being scrutinized, representing 4,600 megawatts of capacity, would be retrofitted with pollution controls, closed or reconfigured to burn a renewable fuel like wood or crop waste.

...

In a statement, Tom Kilgore, the T.V.A.’s president, said the authority was moving to diversify its energy portfolio. “A variety of electricity sources, rather than heavy reliance on any single source, reduces the long-term risks and helps keep costs steady and predictable,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/science/earth/15tva.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1302879676-FMWoGYIhD383MIWR6tU2wA

[BeFree]

1. What?

Clean Air folks win one?

Of course, TVA loves their nukes. But they are building wind and solar supplies, and they have tons of hydro. Does everyone here know that TVA is a socialist org? Is that why they actually listened?

[Nederland]

9. Hmmm

TVA loves their nukes, and the TVA is a Socialist org.

France loves their nukes, and France is a Socialist country.

Connection?

[BeFree]

11. Eh?

Is it true that France dumped their nuke waste off the coast of Somalia?

Where do we put our waste?
How much of it is way up high like they used to have in Fukushima?

The problem is: Nuke industry is a bunch of lieing socialists. They socialize the costs.
Even now we in the US are looking at absorbing some of the Japanese waste.

So, what is your point?

[Nederland]

12. You need to get the story right

France did not dump their nuclear reactor waste off the coast of Somalia. The Italian mafia dumped some of France's medical nuclear waste off the coast of Somalia. Perhaps that's a nitpick, but I think its relevant in this forum to note that nuclear reactors were not involved at all in this incident.

[BeFree]

13. French and Mafia doing bizz?

What's your point about nukes and socialists?

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. So what "source" are they expanding into?

Nuclear?

[phantom power]

3. I would predict not, although they are planning to upgrade their nukes in response to Fukushima.

My guess is more Natural Gas, maybe more Hydro, probably some wind. They mentioned biomass, which gives me hives, but in theory it's sustainable.

[XemaSab]

4. May I ask why biomass gives you hives?

:shrug:

[phantom power]

5. It gives me hives because...

It can be even dirtier than coal, and it makes me think "gateway drug for unsustainable biomass."

Both of these problems are, of course, avoidable in principle.

[XemaSab]

6. Ah ok

:)

[txlibdem]

7. Any time a coal plant is shut down is cause for celebration!

Kudos to TVA. And, yes, they are a socialist organization. Remember that when the time comes folks. Socialist organizations listen to the citizens. Capitalism runs you over with a train load of coal and then backs up to crush any children they may have missed the first time around.

[Nederland]

8. Pssst...

France has a lot more Socialist organizations than this country, and their grid is 80% nuke. Don't tell anyone though, ok?

[txlibdem]

10. C'mon, you know I can't keep my mouth shut!

And I'd love to see the US be a lot more like France, Sweden, or Amsterdam than whatever it is now (Capitalism Death Race 2011, the deadlier version than Capitalism Death Race 2010, which itself was the deadlier version... you get the idea).