Coal Powered Plants Prepare To Close - Jobs Lost, Rates to Rise!

Thanks Obama - this is one of your campaign promises that you kept. Destroying jobs, raising taxes.

W. Virginia is not exactly the richest nation in the US. This will be a devastating blow to them.

In what would likely be a devastating blow to the local economy and everyone's electric bill, AEP says it would have to shut down 5 plants in our area and make cutbacks at six others to comply with new federal rules proposed for coal-fired power plants.

The plan being considered by the EPA would lead to a net loss of 600 jobs at the plants, three of which are in West Virginia-- in Glasgow, New Haven, and Moundsville.

The EPA wants to see these plants phased out by the end of 2014. A timeframe that AEP spokesman Phil Moye says unfairly puts a burden on not just employees but consumers. Rates are expected to shoot up when these plants close. West Virginians would see an increase of 10 to 15 percent , consumers in Kentucky could see up to a 35 percent increase. Employees are hoping the EPA will extend the deadline for a complete shutdown.

The EPA plan also calls for the upgrading or installation of new advanced emissions reduction equipment, and the transfer of coal-fueled generation into natural gas capacity. The deadline imposed by the EPA is December 31st, 2014. AEP is hoping that deadline is extended until at least 2018 possibly 2020.

Coal Plants to Shutdown

Here's the promise that jerk made to the American coal worker - to bankrupt their industry!

I wish the coal companies would release their strangle hold on West Virginia and let us take advantage of clean energy like this:

West Virginia is a Geothermal Hot Spot

West Virginia Geothermal

Coal is not the only answer. We have many industries that could flourisher here, but this state is in the back pocket of "Big Coal". Believe it.

Edit: Also, I dont agree with them shutting the plants down. Its hard to agree when you know so many people will lose their jobs and where are they suppose to go to find work exactly?? We need to build some geo-thermal power plants, in my opinion. It would be a start to solving the problem that is coal.

reply to post by ProjectBlue

I wish the coal companies would release their strangle hold on West Virginia and let us take advantage of clean energy like this:

West Virginia is a Geothermal Hot Spot

West Virginia Geothermal

Coal is not the only answer. We have many industries that could flourisher here, but this state is in the back pocket of "Big Coal". Believe it.

Bullcrap! W. Va. is not the only consumer of coal:

Coal mining and production is a significant resource extraction and manufacturing industry and is a major source of fossil fuel energy in the world economy.

Coal

Coal and geothermal can co-exist. If geo is so great, why haven't they flourished? And how is a geo plant in WVA going to help a nuclear plant on the west coast?

reply to post by ProjectBlue

Coal is not the only answer.

True. But there are no alternatives that can step in and take the place of coal, so our rates will go up!

I will echo the OP and say....

thanks president obama!

It's sad to see the jobs go...

But coal is a dead form of energy. It's disgustingly inefficient, the environmental impact of harvesting it is astronomical, and it wouldn't even be economically sustainable without the massive government subsidies it gets.

Yes, coal was an important building block in our nation's history. However, time has passed and we need to look forward and embrace newer forms of energy that do not cause such ridiculous damage to our environment.

I find it incredulous that anyone who supported the man that said "and energy costs will necessarily skyrocket" still shills for him. its like cutting off your nose despite your face. Whom gets the biggest impact by increased pricing of energy and whom cannot afford new efficient appliances or cars nor any fancy PV systems or the like? its certainly in my mind the very folks who support this idiotic administration and its policies.

Across the board food prices, energy prices and just about any other consumable needed to get by daily has skyrocketed in price and its major impact as a percentage of income impacts the poorest first.

One could almost discern a purpose to all that is happening, I think it is to divide and conquer IMHO till we have a dictatorial police state masked with liberalism.

God people wake the hell up now and figure out these people have no interest in you and your plight whatsoever..

reply to post by drwizardphd


The common sense constructive way would be to bring online the alternative PRIOR to eliminating what you have for electrical generation.

Its the old axiom "anyone can find a problem, but few can provide a solution"

Under what was espoused one could say if your car was burning oil then you should immediately cease operation and start walking - no alternatives today sorry bud - get walking!

reply to post by mishigas


You're totally right! Everyone is connected to coal. If you live in the USA, you are connected to "Big Coal". The point is, as far as energy goes, coal is fighting a up hill battle. Its dirty, its destructive, and its hazardous to mine. People are starting to realize its the 21st century. There must be a better way.

Geothermal is actually very successful. Especially in Iceland:
Renewable energy in Iceland

And there are many, many hotspots around the united states, especially on the west coast:
How Geothermal Energy Works

Your negative attitude toward geothermal just highlights peoples unwillingness to change. I mean, face the facts, we are going to have to change our engry policy. Better to start now than later.

Coal has been made much cleaner; however it IS cheap, abundant, provides US jobs and is almost exclusively mined in the US. So of course Obama and his minions would want to destroy the industry.

Hey, United Mine Workers...how is that Hope and Change working for you now!?!

And the beauty of the destruction of coal, is that it WILL raise the price of electricity for the cconsumer but also the manufacuring sector (what is left of it). Job and further industry destruction...along with pandering to the Green movement.

Originally posted by drwizardphd
It's sad to see the jobs go...

But coal is a dead form of energy. It's disgustingly inefficient, the environmental impact of harvesting it is astronomical, and it wouldn't even be economically sustainable without the massive government subsidies it gets.

Yes, coal was an important building block in our nation's history. However, time has passed and we need to look forward and embrace newer forms of energy that do not cause such ridiculous damage to our environment.

Coal is currently the most efficient form of energy that we have. It is cheap, there is an abundance of it, it is easily transportable, reliable in that it can generate power in all weather conditions and it creates energy independence.

It is going to take years of R&D before we can switch the grid to run on clean energy alone. I completely agree that we need to invest in renewable sources of energy but the reality is that we are 10 - 20 years away from the technology to make it economically viable.

By closing coal plants all this is going to do is drive up costs for everyone. The economy will crash and then there won’t be any capital left to invest in clean energy. Currently solar energy is so inefficient that it will not pay back its startup cost during the lifespan of equipment. Wind power is terribly inefficient and 90% of the natural gas mined is done by fracking. Geothermal energy is efficient however the plants can only be built in limited areas and not to mention that they cause earthquakes. The only form of energy that is as efficient is nuclear energy but with what happened in Japan, you can cross this off the list.

I don't understand the article -- there is the sky is falling part that says the coal burning plants are to be phase out (shutdown) then there is the other part of the article that states that they are being required to get there act together and bring their scrubbers up to snuff and convert to Nat Gas - which we have a lot of.

So are they being shut down (sky is falling) or made to bring their effluents in line with modern standards, standards (poor me I have to be forced to admit that the air is shared). Standards that have made a remarkable difference in the quality of the air since I have been alive.

The free market deregulated industry ALWAYS takes the high road.... right.. you know does the right thing.

if you could harness the bs comming from obamas words and actions and those of this government and make it produce energy it would solve this nations energy problems.

and it wouldnt cost a dime to anyone and it would create jobs thus creating wealth thus creating tax revenue for this country.

the idea is to destroy the energy industries create the crisis to impliment green technology that is all made somewhere in the rest of the world.

that is the reality if green tech was made in the us then maybe i could support it.

destroying multi trillion dollar industries has only one goal more globalization.

i can only imagine what would have happened with the carbon tax the op gives you a good idea of just how many peoples lives would have been destroyed and their wealth.

globalization is redistribution of wealth.

and i am the grandson of a coal miner who i never got to know because he died of black lung.

i do not condone screwing people over political agendas and thats what those closures have done for those workers and those utility bills and all the people in between who has just lost wealth because of it.

obama may god have mercy on your soul because i sure dont.

Originally posted by spyder550
I don't understand the article -- there is the sky is falling part that says the coal burning plants are to be phase out (shutdown) then there is the other part of the article that states that they are being required to get there act together and bring their scrubbers up to snuff and convert to Nat Gas - which we have a lot of.

So are they being shut down (sky is falling) or made to bring their effluents in line with modern standards, standards (poor me I have to be forced to admit that the air is shared). Standards that have made a remarkable difference in the quality of the air since I have been alive.

The free market deregulated industry ALWAYS takes the high road.... right.. you know does the right thing.

The problem with carbon scrubbing is that all of the CO2 is captured and must be stored underground. Since the long term storage of CO2 is a relatively new concept, there isnt much research into the environmental effects.

Converting the existing coal plants into burning natural gas seems like a good option however 90% of natural gas
is mined through fracking. This practice is currently being banned in many states and may soon render the natural gas plants obsolete.

Originally posted by neo96the idea is to destroy the energy industries create the crisis to impliment green technology that is all made somewhere in the rest of the world.

I REALLY hope your wrong but I think you hit the nail right on the head!

reply to post by ProjectBlue

You're totally right! Everyone is connected to coal. If you live in the USA, you are connected to "Big Coal". The point is, as far as energy goes, coal is fighting a up hill battle. Its dirty, its destructive, and its hazardous to mine. People are starting to realize its the 21st century. There must be a better way.

It's plentiful, and it's cheap;

* Coal is one of the most abundant sources of energy, more so than oil and natural gas
* Coal is inexpensive when compared to other fossil fuels (or alternative energy sources)
* Coal is versatile enough to be used for recreational activities such as BBQ’s or simply for home fires
* Burning coal can produce useful by-products that can be used for other industries or products
* Electricity produced from coal is reliable
* Coal can be safely stored and can be drawn upon to create energy in time of emergency
* Coal based power is not dependent on weather which cannot be said for alternative forms of renewable energy such as wind or solar power
* Transporting coal does not require the upkeep of high-pressure pipelines and there is no requirement for extra security when transporting coal
* Using coal reduces the dependence on using oil, which is often found in nations where there is

Coal


I grew up with coal, in western PA. Coal mines and steel mills were the best paychecks around. Coal heated our homes. We had coal bins instead of oil tanks or gas furnaces. I know a little about coal.

Your negative attitude toward geothermal just highlights peoples unwillingness to change. I mean, face the facts, we are going to have to change our engry policy. Better to start now than later.

I don't have a negative attitude about geothermal. Good, I say. Bring it on. And when it can do what coal can do at the same cost, replace coal. But I tire of these 'alternative energy' nuts who have half- assed solutions, like electric cars. They can go a grand total of 30-40 miles without charging for several hours. And worse, they are death traps.

Obama sells these 'green' solutions but so far it has been a total flop. He shuts down oil wells because his tree-hugging buddies tell him to. Meanwhile, we sit on decades of cheap energy that he won't let us access.

reply to post by ProjectBlue


One more thing: geo can have some very negative enviro consequences:

Using geothermal energy to generate electricity has more negative environmental effects. Heat and fluid extraction from
geothermal reservoirs can deplete the existence of geysers and surface hot springs, thereby hindering ecosystems that depend
on the unique characteristics of these for survival. Subterraneous extraction of heat and fluid can also cause land subsidence,
much like the extraction of groundwater. Certain natural substances, such as arsenic, boron, and mercury, are sometimes present
in the water released from geothermal cooling towers. Additionally, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is released from geothermal
cooling towers. However, this release of carbon dioxide is less than one-tenth the amount that would be released from a fossil fuel
electrical generation facility of similar capacity.

geo

reply to post by neo96


What an excellent post. Star and two thumbs up for you.

If thorium energy was be pursued, the US could be energetically self-sufficient in a decade, with no polluting coal or overpriced renewables. I really dont get it why it is so ignored in mainstream media..