hydro2
Gold Member
My old boss was from there. I teach in Chicora. I grew up in Chicora.
6 power plants closed
- Thread starter joemd11
- Start date
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Brad_Blazer
Veteran Member
In NC, Duke is adding new, cleaner coal generation at Cliffside and retiring several older plants.
Project Overview -Duke Energy
Project Overview -Duke Energy
2LaneCruzer
Super Member
EPA is indeed a two headed monster. They have served this country well, but can also be an instrument of opression when used as a political tool. Old coal fired plants in the NE have always had Clean Air Act compliance issues, but politics being what they are, they have been able to resist the retrofitting of emission controls. EPA rules require "Major Modifications" of such plants to install what is known as BACT, or Best Available Control Technology. Now for old coal fired plants, retrofitting could cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Retrofitting this expensive is usually avoided every way possible, so we have a lot of old, deterioriating, marginally compliant patched up coal fired plants whose time has run out.
Many of these old units have been patched up in ways that were meant to get around the rules; but the rules are complicated, and sometimes they slip up and they get into compliance trouble with the state and EPA; they are then faced with an expensive upgrade and a very hefty fine and maybe even closure.
The new toxic/mercury rules have been in the making for a long time; if EPA and the industry have done their homework, the science behind these new rules should be solid; if not, they should have been litigated. The bottom line, is these old horses have been ridden hard and are about dead. The new units will be expensive, yes, but they should be clean...very clean, and not a health hazard like the old ones.
There are two kinds of coal; one is kinda dirty and one is very dirty. Coal contains lots of nasties like Mercury, radioactive isotopes, organic toxics, and Sulfur...Sulfur, when burned, turns to SO2, which in turn will convert to other sulfates or Sulfuric acid...there are also lots of particulates generated that must be removed...fly ash and bottom ash. The emission controls are expensive..and once this stuff is removed, you have disposal problems. SO2 sludge, mercury, fly ash and bottom ash all have to be disposed of. Disposal is also expensive...and these plants, which burn A LOT of coal, have a of waste to dispose of.
Bottom line: the day of the old, dirty coal fired plants is about over, and it's about time. Oh, BTW, these plants are public utilities which means that under the law (at least in my state) they are "GUARANTEED" a "reasonable" profit. The common citizen is guaranteed cleaner, healthier air to breath with a concomitant increase in their electric bill. So, you pay your money and take your chances.
Many of these old units have been patched up in ways that were meant to get around the rules; but the rules are complicated, and sometimes they slip up and they get into compliance trouble with the state and EPA; they are then faced with an expensive upgrade and a very hefty fine and maybe even closure.
The new toxic/mercury rules have been in the making for a long time; if EPA and the industry have done their homework, the science behind these new rules should be solid; if not, they should have been litigated. The bottom line, is these old horses have been ridden hard and are about dead. The new units will be expensive, yes, but they should be clean...very clean, and not a health hazard like the old ones.
There are two kinds of coal; one is kinda dirty and one is very dirty. Coal contains lots of nasties like Mercury, radioactive isotopes, organic toxics, and Sulfur...Sulfur, when burned, turns to SO2, which in turn will convert to other sulfates or Sulfuric acid...there are also lots of particulates generated that must be removed...fly ash and bottom ash. The emission controls are expensive..and once this stuff is removed, you have disposal problems. SO2 sludge, mercury, fly ash and bottom ash all have to be disposed of. Disposal is also expensive...and these plants, which burn A LOT of coal, have a of waste to dispose of.
Bottom line: the day of the old, dirty coal fired plants is about over, and it's about time. Oh, BTW, these plants are public utilities which means that under the law (at least in my state) they are "GUARANTEED" a "reasonable" profit. The common citizen is guaranteed cleaner, healthier air to breath with a concomitant increase in their electric bill. So, you pay your money and take your chances.
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