Coal Gives Way To Solar
….And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares.”
This familiar quote is from the Book of Isiah, and meaning, of course, that the Lord is commanding us to convert something that used to be a weapon into a tool of peace and sustainability. Of course, it could also be metaphorical, i.e., that we need to address our inclinations toward violence and reorient them towards peace and cooperation.
In any case, here’s a short video that shows the destruction of a coal-fired power plant in Ontario, Canada, making way for a huge (200K panel) solar farm.
In 2005, Toronto had 53 days in which high-pollution warnings were issued. In 2015 there were zero.
We’re getting there.
Craig,
You really should do a little research before you accept snippets from Facebook postings as authentic information.
This wasn’t “The world’s largest power station” in fact it wasn’t even in the top ten !
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has admitted closure of Ontario’s coal fired power stations was her ” biggest mistake”. The Premier blamed the demise public confidence in her government on the dramatic rise in electricity prices.
But it’s not much of a triumph, since coal was never an important source of power in Canada where Hydro- and Nuclear power were the traditional base load suppliers of power,(nearly 80%) with coal never contributing much beyond 20%.
In recent decades Canada’s abundant Natural Gas began replacing coal for electricity generation.
As for air pollution, Toronto’s old coal fired power stations were never a major contributor to Toronto’s smog problems. Studies conducted by the University of Toronto reveal smog is the result of a complicated reaction between VOCs and nitrogen oxides, emitted primarily by cars and trucks, and sunlight. They combine to form ground-level ozone, a secondary pollutant.
The Study also reveal the topography of Toronto is uniquely susceptible to poor air quality with sewerage now identified as major contributing factors to poor air quality.
The report also opined has the coal fired generators been equipped with more modern technology compliance with air pollution standards could have been easily satisfied.
It’s possible with the latest technology for a Coal fired plant to operate with less pollution emissions than natural gas.
Canada and Ontario government support and subsidy for solar is considerable, but solar photo-voltaic plants account for less than half a percent of total Canadian electricity production. The solar industry in Canada is uneconomic and without massive taxpayer subsidies wouldn’t exist in paces like Ontario.
A lot will depend on the taxpayers and consumers willingness to continue accepting high electricity prices to produce “green” energy, much of which is simply dumped.
Wind power is more economically viable in Canada
Craig,
I notice, to my dismay, every time a fervent anti-coal advocate makes a claim, and that claim is subjected to scrutiny, the anti-coal advocate either shouts louder, or refuses to acknowledge errors, inaccuracies or just plain untruths in the original claim.
Shouting down the truth can be an effective, if dishonest, tactic. Equally so is ignoring corrections, while waiting until it’s safe to once again repeat disingenuous information.
Meanwhile, I have a question for you ?
Why do you never include positive clean tech news such as the good news of new technologies in the testing phase to zap emissions from coal fired plants ?
Coal-fired power plants contribute a third of all man-made CO2 emissions in the US.
The development of economically viable technology to gasify coal is nearing commercialization and could prove more relaible and cleaner than even Natural Gas.
Why do you never report on projects such as Canada’s Boundary Dam Coal plant? Or Net Power’s even more sophisticated 25 megawatt demonstration plant in Greater Houston which will be fully operational this year. Net Power will have a 300 zero emission (close to) megawatt power plant 300 operational by 2022.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says that the world’s reliance on coal and other fossil fuels won’t subside, noting that they will still make up 77% of the global electricity supply in 2040.
Why wouldn’t any environmental advocate cheer the prospect of removing the emmission from this fuel source ?
Net Power and Toshiba technology burns gasified coal in oxygen, in the same way as natural gas, creating pure CO2. The captured Co2 is heated and used to create electricity, or used to enhance oil recovery. Early results have proved the technology can lower the operating price of US coal plants to compete with NG and all other power sources.
Environmentally, this technology may be even cleaner than Solar or Wind !
Isn’t this something every lover of the environment and clean air should be Cheering ? Or at least investigating ?
(But, I suppose it’s not good news for those faux ‘environmental’ lobbyists for the Wind power industry).
The race for clean coal technology has only just begun thanks to the Trump administration’s (45Q) support.
In other new developments, Exxon Mobil is developing fuel cells to capture and concentrate CO2 from power plants. FuelCell Energy and Exxon’s new technology will dramatically reduce the costs associated with carbon capture. A demo plant is nearing completion in Alabama.
Petra Nova is already capturing 98% of CO2 from it’s Texas 240 megawatt coal plant using another type of technology. Following representations made by President Trump, the U.S. and Japanese governments, are supporting a venture between NRG Energy and JXTG Holdings with an initial $1 billion investment in carbon recovery and reuse technology.
legislative accomplishments in recent memory.”
Indeed, Net Power’s Brown says that while carbon capture could change the energy landscape, few companies can afford to pursue this technology. Research and development has thus been limited, which in turn, has kept in check the economies of scale. The new tax program changes the whole dynamic, he notes.
Exxon Mobil Corp. wants to catapult the concept further by using carbonated fuel cells that can concentrate and capture the CO2 from power plants. FuelCell Energy and Exxon said the development of this new technology would “substantially reduce costs” associated with carbon capture. They have a demo in Alabama.
Petra Nova, meanwhile, is now capturing 90% of CO2 at 240 megawatt coal plant in Texas using a different type of technology. The facility, which has backing from the both the U.S. and Japanese governments, is joint venture between NRG Energy and JXTG Holdings that cost $1 billion.
More and more carbon capture and sequestration technologies are in development due to the surge in investments after years of deterrence and opposition by the Obama administration.
Net Power expects to license its technology and to bring an affordable low-carbon technology to the entire world. This would be great news for environmentalists globally.
Ideologues, “green” politicians,and RFA lobbyist will squeal and bleat loudly that the best fossil-fueled plant is a retired one, or one that is never built !
Real environmentalists, those without hidden agenda’s, will rejoice as they understand coal and natural gas will remain part of the global energy mix well into the future, necessitating development of technology to capture and utilize CO2.
Why don’t you lend a hand, or at least an ear ?