Alternate futures

Two huge power plants offer different paths forward

Posted by David Roberts at 1:32 AM on 22 Feb 2008

In Sweetwater, Texas, a company called Tenaska has applied to build what will be the nation's first bona fide "clean coal" plant -- an IGCC plant that will capture and sequester CO2 emissions. (Said emissions will be used to pump more oil out of the Permian Basin oil fields, which will then be burned and create more CO2, but who's counting?) The 600MW plant is projected to be completed in 2014.

Meanwhile, Spanish engineering firm Abengoa has signed a deal with the Arizona Public Service Co. utility to build what will be the largest solar power plant in the U.S. -- 280MW. (It's worth noting that the plant will not be built unless Congress extends the solar production tax credits.) The concentrated solar plant, Solana, will be up and running around 2011.

And the race is on!

For story: Alternate futures
8 Comments | Post a Comment

Market expectations

And check out this quote from the Star-Telegram article, on the "clean coal" plant's reliance on carbon credit schemes:

"It is widely anticipated in the industry that federal standards putting a price on carbon emissions, probably through a cap-and-trade system, will be instituted by 2010."

I see this as the best news in this story. We don't need actual regulations on the books to make companies make good decisions: as long as we can give them the credible expectation that some sort of regulation is coming soon, they'll build cleaner plants in anticipation. And, as more of these investments get made, the utilities themselves will have more and more self-interest in establishing global carbon limits.

vigorousnorth.blogspot.com A field guide to the wilderness areas of American inner cities.

by cneal at 6:40 AM on 22 Feb 2008

Where Will the "Clean Coal" Come From?

Some magical happy mine that doesn't destroy wilderness, pollute our streams, or make the surrounding areas completely unlivable?

Clean coal is a myth.

by davidconnell at 8:00 AM on 22 Feb 2008

Live webcast today - Nevada Solar One

Don't know if you've already posted about this, but Ed Begley's moderating/hosting a live webcast right now (2pm, Friday) about Nevada Solar One's "historic" event:
http://www.accionalive.com/

by altCon at 11:07 AM on 22 Feb 2008

solar vs. coal

Does anybody have an approximation of how many bucks it would take to build a 280mw coal plant vs. the Abenquo solar plant in Arizona and how much time to completion for each?

by solar nano at 1:49 AM on 23 Feb 2008

solar vs. coal

Does anybody have an approximation of how many bucks it would take to build a 280mw coal plant vs. the Abenquo solar plant in Arizona and how much time to completion for each?

by solar nano at 2:01 AM on 23 Feb 2008

Blue sky laws and a billion bucks for sunshine

Likely $4/Watt, less than 25% capacity factor, and perhaps up to 15% efficient. That is why subsidies and third party investors are required to zap this monster to life.

by sunflower at 8:49 AM on 23 Feb 2008

coal costs

solar nano:

Have a look here at Energy Justice Network's coal site click the link to contact them:

http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/

They've got lots of numbers on the cost to build various types of coal plants.

Erik

The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more

by Erik Hoffner at 10:18 AM on 23 Feb 2008
[ Parent ]

$3 Billion...

...the expected cost of the plant. That's even more than Futuregen (close to 3X more), and this one won't have the option to be funded by by the DOE (I hope). They better have some major backers with deep pockets if they want this thing to go through.

by Tasermons Partner at 3:48 PM on 23 Feb 2008

ADVERTISING POLICY

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.