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August 5, 2012

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'He's
No God Damned War Hero'

Antoine
Dodson: 'The gay community --- we have went from being bullied to becoming
bullies'

Coulter:
Strong Chick-fil-A appreciation turnout debunks gay-marriage polling

Record
number of coal-fired generators to be shut down in 2012

Published: 12:20 AM 07/28/2012

By Michael Bastasch

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ADVANCE FOR MONDAY, DEC. 19 AND THEREAFTER - Part of the
Potomac River Generating Station is seen in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Dec. 16,
2011. More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be
forced to shut down and another 34 might have to close because of new federal
air pollution regulations, according to an Associated Press survey. Together,
those plants produce enough electricity for more than 21 million households, but
their demise is unlikely to cause homes to go dark. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Part of the Potomac River Generating Station is seen in
Alexandria, Va., Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Read More:

Senators
want to spend tax dollars to control the weather

Radical
Islamists stone couple to death in northern Mali

Coal
industry wins court victory amid mine closings

Bipartisan
Internet sales tax bill would hurt small businesses, critic says

Poll:
Obama's support for gay marriage has limited impact on US
opinions

Facing declining demand for electricity and stiff federal environmental
regulations, coal plant operators are planning to retire 175 coal-fired
generators, or 8.5 percent of the total coal-fired capacity in the United
States, according to an analysis by the Energy Information
Administration (EIA).

A record-high 57 generators will shut down in 2012, representing 9 gigawatts
of electrical capacity, according to EIA. In 2015, nearly 10 gigawatts of
capacity from 61 coal-fired generators will be retired.

While many of those coal plants are old and relatively inefficient, the scope
of this new planned shutdown is unprecedented.

“The coal-fired capacity expected to be retired over the next five years is
more than four times greater than retirements performed during the preceding
five-year period,” EIA noted in the analysis.

The generators that will be retired between 2012 and 2016 are “approximately
12% more efficient than the group of units, on average, that retired during
2009-2011,” according to the EIA.

The low price of natural gas resulting from the shale boom has led to reduced
coal consumption and made the shutdowns necessary, experts say.

But federal and state regulations have also damaged the industry and
contributed to plant closures.

“The cost of compliance with anticipated and existing Federal environmental
regulations such as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) is a factor,”
the EIA noted. “Particularly in the case of older, smaller units that are not
used heavily, owners may conclude it is more cost efficient to retire plants
rather than make additional investments.”

Most of the coal-fired generator retirements will occur in the Mid-Atlantic,
Ohio River Valley and the Southeast.

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Tags: Coal industry

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'He's
No God Damned War Hero'

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