The future of coal: Old energy source under new pressures, but it’s not dust yet

Sunny days appear to be ahead for green energy in Tennessee, but the coal industry faces a future clouded by a number of issues such as declining demand because of environmental concerns and the resurgence of nuclear power.
Utilities like TVA are the primary customers for coal companies, and TVA recently announced a strategic shift away from coal and toward more sustainable energy sources for its power plants. It already plans to idle nine coal-fired units at its fossil plants.
The fossil plants themselves face an uncertain future as tougher air quality regulations make it costlier to operate some plants that would need expensive scrubbing equipment.
Some observers believe the end is approaching for coal as a viable fuel source. A Jan. 25 story in the London Financial Times, headlined "The Death of U.S. Coal," examined the possibility that tight new Environmental Protection Agency restrictions on sulphur dioxide emissions will push utilities to start abandoning fossil plants as a source of electrical power. A July 19 story in Forbes magazine reported that Edison International already has shuttered two coal-fired plants near Chicago because of the regulations. More at: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/oct/17/future-coal-old-energy-source-under-new-pressures-/

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Nuclear expanding for TVA

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A new draft Integrated Resources Policy (IRP) released by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) sees nuclear expansion continuing over the next two decades. In drawing up the IRP, which will help guide efforts to meet regional electricity needs over the next 20 years, the authority has examined seven possible long-term scenarios based on factors such as economic growth, inflation, fuel prices and the regulatory environment. The IRP process also included the development of various possible strategies that TVA might employ to meet power needs, which were in turn used to draw up 20-year power generation portfolios.

Nuclear expansion is present in the majority of portfolios, with the first additional nuclear unit being added between 2018 and 2022. The study also suggests the TVA is likely to idle or lay up some 2000-7000 MWe of its coal-fired capacity as coal units become older and less economical under tighter regulations. Nuclear could potentially overtake coal as the utility’s leading generation source, the authority notes.

The draft plan is now being opened up to public comment.

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