What is going on with TVA and this topic?

from MSNBC ...

President Barack Obama announced on Monday that the U.S. will take a giant stride in the race to prevent catastrophic climate change, limiting — for the first time ever — the amount of carbon power plants can pump into the atmosphere.

If the proposed Clean Power Plan survives legal and legislative challenges, it would shutter hundreds of existing coal-fired power plants, prevent construction of new ones and boost renewable energy to heights not previously seen.



continued...

In another break from the draft version of the rule, the final regulation favors a shift to renewable energy rather than a “building block” transition to natural gas first. Natural gas produces about half the carbon pollution of coal, but wind and solar energy produce zero carbon.

As a result, the final rule is structured to reward utilities for investing rapidly in those sources.

Obama unveils ‘biggest step we’ve ever taken’ on climate

R. Neal's picture

I have to reluctantly give

I have to reluctantly give TVA credit for some fairly dramatic reductions in coal-fired emissions, even if they had to be sued over and over. It sounds like they are now in a better position to comply:

TVA cautiously optimistic about new EPA rules - News Sentinel Story

"...For our coal and gas fleet, this plan really won't have much impact at all," Brooks said.

"Most of our decisions on which coal units to retire, etc., are already in place and being driven by a 2011 agreement between TVA and (EPA). We have already reduced our carbon emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels. It remains to be seen what the other impacts will be."

TVA earlier this year released its Integrated Resource Plan, which addresses the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources over the next two decades at the utility.

"We believe that TVA's 2015 IRP sets us up well for the future," Brooks said. "Its flexibility allows us to meet new regulations and changing market conditions with decreasing CO2 emissions."

The IRP was not formulated to address Clean Power Plan rules, which were still being finalized at the time, but notes that TVA plans to retire 13 units at two coal-fired power plants here.

Factchecker's picture

2 cents

This is a good step. I wish that President Obama, though, had long ago rejected the Keystone XL pipeline outright, and more recently, Shell's Arctic drilling application, as well. Those two projects just violate our national security interests and this president's energy goals. As it is, enough time in limbo has elapsed for the Tea Party and GOP crazies to coalesce around KXXL as a political rallying tool.

Moreover, this announcement is only a tiny first step. Many bigger steps will be needed soon. I am pleasantly delighted, however, that the White House has apparently jettisoned the flawed strategy of supporting natural gas as a so-called "bridge fuel." That bridge has been built and it may let us all down in the end in methane leaks, water destruction, and the unintended consequences of hydraulic fracking.

As for TVA, I wish they would partner with DOE to build a solar array on the ridge surrounding ORNL. They could closely duplicate the one VW built in Chattanooga. I've done some rough math and the cost of the VW installation comes to <5% of the cost of ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source facility (i.e., a rounding error on cost overruns) and might cover about 10% of the average power consumed by the SNS. Payback time would be on the order of a decade.

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