So, how much new coal capacity is the US building?

[NNadir]

I often rag on Germany about their new commitment to coal, but in this case, as I am an American, this is the soot calling particulate matter black.

The United States in the period between 2006 and 2009 plans to add, while the midwest is scorching, 12,500 MW of new coal capacity. If we take the energy density of coal to be 30MJ/kg, this new capacity will burn each year about 13 million tons of coal per year, adding almost 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in addition to the current output.

The new coal capacity being added in this period will exceed the new renewable capacity by a factor of 22.

Note that the new coal capacity will greatly be exceeded by the new natural gas capacity - natural gas being another fuel with a horrific global climate change implication.

Read it and weep:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epaxlfile2_4.xls#_ftnref4

[acmejack]

1. They are trying to build 17 plants in Texas.

The plants are opposed in a legal action by the mayors of most of the major cities.

[NNadir]

2. Coal plants?

That is a surprise.

[acmejack]

4. Yes, Indeed...

[jdlh8894]

3. Sorry,but I don't see how

Your "factor of 22 "makes no sense. Plus , this IMO is all hypothetical.

[NNadir]

5. First of all this is data, not hypothesis.

The numbers refer to plants that have been ordered or are under construction and is compiled by the Department of Energy.

The numbers are in the form of an excel spreadsheet, which is convenient for doing calculations.

To find out the amount of coal capacity one sums under the headings 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 the numbers 450 and 2,064 and 1,879 and 8,122. The sum of these numbers (found on the fourth row) is 12,515.

Similarly, going to row 11 "other renewables" - everything except hydroelectric capacity - and sums these numbers: 294 and 126 and 147 and 1 to get 568.

Then one divides the larger number, 12,515, by the smaller number, 568, to get 22.033.

This is where my numbers come from. I hope this clarifies any confusion.

If you wish to contend that the Energy Information Administration is lying, I suggest you take it up with them.


http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat2p4.html

[jdlh8894]

6. Your Data

Is looking into the future(2006-2009) therefore it is just an educated guess.

[NNadir]

7. It is not MY data.

The source of the data is given on the damn Department of Energy link provided.

Here is what the note in the link says:

Notes: Projected data are updated annually, so revision superscript is not used. Where there is more than one energy source associated with a generator, the predominant energy source is reported here. These data reflect plans as of January 1, 2005. Delays and cancellations may have occurred subsequently to the data reporting. Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding.

Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report."

It sounds like their is a governmental reporting requirement, which would hardly be surprising.

Of course, denial is an American tradition in the matter of energy, and so I can't really I'm surprised by your approach to this information, which is to say that the numbers can't be real. You probably would have excellent prospects if you ran for congress.

Around the world, energy ignorance is a new international sport and is culturally (and politically) popular almost everywhere, except maybe in countries like India and China.

As a sport, energy ignorance is likely to rival soccer in the future, at least until so many of us are fried to death that sports become passe.

[jdlh8894]

8. Denial?

I think not. According to the link,under Notes: PROJECTED data etc. That to me is just a guess!

[NNadir]

9. Whatever.

I guess you know zero about engineering. You seem to think that power plants spring out of the ground at random.

Serious people have other ideas.

[freethought]

10. Chances are it has nothing to do with demand

There's a book out about Big Coal interests. I was able to hear and interview with the author.
All of this new coal burning capacity is a strategy by energy interests to get as many coal fired plants up as possible before the government imposes carbon caps or carbon taxes. If all goes as they would like these new plants will be "grandfathered" and exempt from any of the controls that might be imposed.
Correction, the Book is entitled "Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future" by Jeff Goodell

[NNadir]

11. In the period between 1994 and 2004, demand for electricity rose 20%.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/international/iealf/table62.xls

In 1994 the demand was 3,080.89 billion kw-hr. In 2004 it was 3,716.69 billion kw-hr.

My guess is that this isn't so much a function of the coal companies, as of the power companies.

The reality is that the magnitude of the climate crisis is so large that it will be next to impossible to avoid the shuttering of many coal plants, grandfathered or not.

The demand may go down in any case because of human die-off.

[NickB79]

12. Natural gas? From where will we get this gas?

North American LNG production has peaked, and importing LNG is much more difficult than importing oil.

WTF are people thinking?

[jpak]

13. Nonsense

US wind power capacity *alone* will grow from ~10,000 MW this year to 28,000 MW by 2010..

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=41304

That's 18,000 MW of new wind capacity and doesn't include PV, solar thermal electric, biomass/gas, geothermal and ocean energy systems that will come on line between now and 2009.

The US installed 2400+ MW of new wind capacity in 2005. Even if growth in US wind power was flat between 2006 and 2009 - that would add 7200 MW of new wind capacity.

In California, construction of ~900 MW of solar stirling generating capacity will begin in 2008. These projects will be completed by 2011.

The US is currently installing ~150 MW of PV capacity a year - even if growth is flat, that's an additional 450 MW of new PV by 2009.

There are 45 US geothermal projects underway (~2000 MW total) that will add 400+ MW of new geothermal capacity by 2010.

The US will conservatively add ~8000 MW of new renewable capacity by 2009.

..and realistically A LOT more...

The statement "... new coal capacity being added in this period will exceed the new renewable capacity by a factor of 22"... is completely and totally false...

again - nice try...