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EPA regulations force Ga. power company to shut down coal-fired generators

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by Revmitchell, Jan 8, 2013.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Stricter environmental regulations have led to Georgia Power asking state regulators for permission to shut down 15 coal-fired and oil-fired generators, totaling more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity generating capacity.

    The company expects to ask for decertification most of the coal-fired units by April 16, 2015 — the effective date that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics rule will go into effect.

    The company expects to seek a one-year extension for MATS compliance for their Plant Kraft, and retire those units one-year later.

    The EPA estimated annual costs of compliance of MATs would be $10.2 billion.

    Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/01/07/e...hut-down-coal-fired-generators/#ixzz2HMguLGhk
     
  2. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    Obama's "Cap and Trade" by executive fiat.

    Without the "trade".

    Get ready for the price of electricity to skyrocket.
     
  3. Oldtimer

    Oldtimer New Member

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    Obama told us in 2008!

    With every coal-fired boiler shutdown, more coal miners are going to be out of work. That's in addition to the boiler operators, coal delivery people, and no telling who else in the supply chain.

    Not to worry. Wind mills and solar power will offset with increased production of same in China.
    All those exchanging votes for free phones may regret what it will cost to charge them.

    Almost forget -- Blame it on Bush! :BangHead:
     
  4. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    It's not all bad news.

    Natural gas will be the fuel of choice for the power plants and it is essentially the same price as coal, without all of the mercury contamination.

    We have plenty of natural gas, so the price of electricity should not go up much, if any.
     
  5. Oldtimer

    Oldtimer New Member

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    Google:
    Natural Gas Pipeline opposition
    EPA Natural Gas pipeline

    For example:
    Trade group fights EPA regs on nat gas pipelines
    http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/10/13/trade-group-fights-epa-regulations-on-natural-gas-pipelines/

    Are you sure you can count of natural gas to be the fix that'll hold down electricity prices?

    Better buy your wind mills, solar panels, and water driven turbines now, if you expect to hold your own with the price of electricity. Especially since automobiles will continue to increase their demand on our overstressed electric grid.

    Or, learn how folks lived before the days of flipping a switch when it's a choice between eating and keeping kilowats flowing.

    Know how to trim the wick of an oil lamp? Own an oil lamp?
    Know how to make an olive oil or a stone lamp?

    Know how to bake a biscuit without turning a knob or pushing a button?

    Know how to use a washboard and how to make soap and clothes pins?

    I know of families, through no fault of their own, who cannot afford electricity today. That's a frequent request for aid that comes to our church, especially the elderly on low fixed incomes. How many more are going to be in that catagory when "electricity prices skyrocket"?

    You may think I'm joking or trying to be sarcastic with references to washboards and oil lamps. But, please let me assure you that I'm not. Much of my childhood was spent on a rural farm without an electric meter on the side of the house. With food prices skyrocketing, also, I know our budget can't take a skyrocketing of carbon based energy, on top of the increasing expense of health care, too. If the trend continues down this path, at some point, I may have to pull washboards out of storage and fire up the wood cook stove.

    There's no indication that the trend will not continue.
     
  6. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I actually have quite a few personal and professional ties to the energy industry, especially natural gas. The protestors are loud, but the simple realities of the need for energy, the massive problems with "sustainable" power, and simple economics are driving natural gas into the mainstream. The resistance to pipelines is overblown by the media. My firm's energy group designs pipelines and our engineers are worked 50-60 hours and weeks and we're TURNING DOWN projects because we don't have the manpower to do them. In addition, the EPA has essentially concluded that tracking is not dangerous to the environment, although we have to keep common-sense rules in place, despite the screams and howls of the uninformed Hollywood elite and a small, but influential group of people opposed to energy development.
     
  7. Oldtimer

    Oldtimer New Member

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    I believe that you mean fracking in your reply. For my state, how many years away are we from pulling the first cubic foot of natural gas from the ground?

    NC fracking bill becomes law with veto override
    The Associated Press Tuesday, July 3, 2012

    Quote: The measure directs a state panel and other agencies to develop rules and regulations for the process to drill and collect the natural gas by October 2014. The Legislature would have to sign off at a later date before actual permits could be issued.

    http://www.reflector.com/ap/staten/nc-fracking-bill-1-step-closer-law-override-1123987

    In rural areas, like mine, how many more years will pass, before people, like myself and my neighbors, can take advantage of natural gas in lieu of other forms of carbon based energy? Will that become a viable alternative before "the price of electricity skyrockets"?

    "Small and elite"?

    I respectfully beg to disagree with you. Every Al Gore type with investments in "green" energy are opposed to carbon based fuels. I'll have to do some research to see if any of the "preserve Mother Earth" organizations endorse fracking and the development of a natural gas alternative. Another research topic, that you may already know the answer. Even though the EPA has "concluded that fracking is not dangerous to the environment" will they infact hamper efforts with endless rules and regulations?

    FWIW, I was around when OSHA was implemented. Worked in a factory and saw firsthand safety requirements so stringent that production machinery could not be operated. Machinery that had not been associated with any lost time accidents over the years that it had been in use at our plant. Yet it had to be shut down because required modifications rendered the equipment useless for it's intended purpose. -- Just one of several reasons why that operation eventually moved to another country. Almost 60,000 jobs were lost as this company phased out US operations.

    The old saying, there's more than one way to skin a cat comes to mind. How many times have we seen government fail to live up to promises? Promise not to ban ABC outright, while working on more subtle ways to, in effect, render ABC useless.

    I'm sorry, but as long as "green" energy is the watchword, I cannot share your optimism. Especially over the next 5-10-15(?) years or so. Wish I could. (sigh)

    Hope, too, that I'm wrong.
     
  8. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    Next headline:

    West Virginia coal mines shut down, unemployment soars.
     
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