Wind Generation

[workinonit]

Even with gas at it's very lowest it didn't ***** coal by very much. Once the majority of the coal fired plants are forced to shut down and gas prices soar the US will find out why we don't want coal plants closed. It's always a smart economic move to get all of your eggs in one basket. You hate coal generation and I take a more pragmatic view. I feel we need to remain diversified so it doesn't bite us in the butt like what's about to happen in Europe. I'm pretty sure coal isn't obsolete. Most of the plants I work at still have some pretty large coal piles.

 

[jyoutz]

Even with gas at it's very lowest it didn't ***** coal by very much. Once the majority of the coal fired plants are forced to shut down and gas prices soar the US will find out why we don't want coal plants closed. It's always a smart economic move to get all of your eggs in one basket. You hate coal generation and I take a more pragmatic view. I feel we need to remain diversified so it doesn't bite us in the butt like what's about to happen in Europe. I'm pretty sure coal isn't obsolete. Most of the plants I work at still have some pretty large coal piles.

Coal is rapidly becoming obsolete because:
1. Old plants are being decommissioned or converted to gas
2. No new coal plants are planned or being built

Power companies are concerned about their bottom line and yes it does beat coal by a lot. As I mentioned, one plant is planning to save $10-15 million annually by converting to gas. That’s a lot in my world. It’s not just the cost of the raw fuel; gas plants are extremely cheap to run and maintain.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

The coal fired plants we had in Oklahoma, were built some time ago, and burned "clean" Wyoming coal. They emit absolutely no visible emissions, due to their control technology, but do have all of the ash to dispose of.

 

[jyoutz]

The coal fired plants we had in Oklahoma, were built some time ago, and burned "clean" Wyoming coal. They emit absolutely no visible emissions, due to their control technology, but do have all of the ash to dispose of.

Just because you don’t see smoke belching from the stack doesn’t mean that mercury, sulfur dioxide and other nasty toxins aren’t in the exhaust.

 

[Raul-02]

Does anybody think they put these things up and didn’t hook them up?

It is almost without question that there are plenty of people who entertain ideas like that.
They can be found by the score on the internet.

 

[SandburRanch]

Coal is rapidly becoming obsolete because:
1. Old plants are being decommissioned or converted to gas
2. No new coal plants are planned or being built

Power companies are concerned about their bottom line and yes it does beat coal by a lot. As I mentioned, one plant is planning to save $10-15 million annually by converting to gas. That’s a lot in my world. It’s not just the cost of the raw fuel; gas plants are extremely cheap to run and maintain.

Where you get that information that gas plants are cheap to run and maintain , hardly ? 30 years ago i operated and maintained a gas compressor booster station that had 13,000 horse power running balls to the wall 24/7 . What's there today , one 1,000 HP Waukesha engine with a 3 stage compressor . We're basically out of N G because , well there was 2 consecutive administrations that wanted to bankrupt all petroleum companies and the one now is being given daily instruction by a former administration . Reminds me of the elect. car on the interstate having batteries charged by a gas truck pulling a trailer loaded with a diesel generator .

 

[BravoXray]

Back in the 60s and 70s I hauled a lot of cinders out ot the Twin Branch coal fired generating plant in Mishawaka, IN. Once a week, on Wednesday, I think, they would load the cinders they washed out of the boilers into a holding area with an old Bantam dragline truck crane. I think a tandem dump truck load was about $10, so we paid to get rid of their waste and dump it in people's driveways.

 

[MossRoad]

Back in the 60s and 70s I hauled a lot of cinders out ot the Twin Branch coal fired generating plant in Mishawaka, IN. Once a week, on Wednesday, I think, they would load the cinders they washed out of the boilers into a holding area with an old Bantam dragline truck crane. I think a tandem dump truck load was about $10, so we paid to get rid of their waste and dump it in people's driveways.

I forgot they had a power plant there. I always associate it with the dam only.

 

[jyoutz]

Where you get that information that gas plants are cheap to run and maintain , hardly ? 30 years ago i operated and maintained a gas compressor booster station that had 13,000 horse power running balls to the wall 24/7 . What's there today , one 1,000 HP Waukesha engine with a 3 stage compressor . We're basically out of N G because , well there was 2 consecutive administrations that wanted to bankrupt all petroleum companies and the one now is being given daily instruction by a former administration . Reminds me of the elect. car on the interstate having batteries charged by a gas truck pulling a trailer loaded with a diesel generator .

I have no clue what you are talking about, but the reason that I know that natural gas is cheaper is because the power companies have said this. I assume that these companies understand the economics of power generation. We have had multiple feature stories in newspapers where local power companies have stated the big cost savings of coal plant conversion to gas. And you are speaking absolute nonsense about being out of natural gas. This is one of the most abundant energy resources in America and my state is the number 2 producer. Petroleum companies are doing quite well at this time, and my state has a $1.6 billion budget surplus this year due to oil and gas drilling revenues. The industry has made statements that there is a 2-300 year supply of untapped natural gas resources in America. And yes the oil companies are drilling and piping this gas at this time, unlike misinformation to the contrary.

 

[jyoutz]

Back in the 60s and 70s I hauled a lot of cinders out ot the Twin Branch coal fired generating plant in Mishawaka, IN. Once a week, on Wednesday, I think, they would load the cinders they washed out of the boilers into a holding area with an old Bantam dragline truck crane. I think a tandem dump truck load was about $10, so we paid to get rid of their waste and dump it in people's driveways.

Nowadays those cinders are considered to be toxic waste full of mercury and they must be handled and disposed of as hazardous waste.