The price for electricity is about to skyrocket

[DrLeftover]

The US government is to unveil new rules for coal-burning power plants aimed at dramatically cutting emissions that contribute to global warming.

The proposals reportedly seek to cut carbon pollution from nearly 1,600 power plants by 30% by 2030.

China and India are among the nations that have made similar commitments to stem global warming.

But critics argue the new US rules will cause power plants to close and electricity prices to rise.

"I intend to make sure America is out front in a global framework to preserve our planet," Mr Obama said in a speech last week.

"American influence is always stronger when we lead by example. We cannot exempt ourselves from the rules that apply to everyone else."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27645569



Of course he is totally ignoring the new technologies that make burning coal better for the environment than turning corn into gasoline. But then again, he's Mister Obama.

 

[DrLeftover]

Here's the other side of that coin.

Following a 30-year period in which few new reactors were built, it is expected that six new units may come on line by 2020, four of those resulting from 16 licence applications made since mid-2007 to build 24 new nuclear reactors.
However, lower gas prices since 2009 have put the economic viability of some existing reactors and proposed projects in doubt.
Government policy changes since the late 1990s have helped pave the way for significant growth in nuclear capacity. Government and industry are working closely on expedited approval for construction and new plant designs.

In 2012, the US electricity generation was 4300 billion kWh gross, 1640 TWh (38%) of it from coal-fired plant, 1277 TWh (30%) from gas, 800 TWh (19%) nuclear, 298 TWh from hydro and 141 TWh from wind. Annual electricity demand is projected to increase to 5,000 billion kWh in 2030, though in the short term it is depressed and is not expected to recover to the 2007 level until about 2015. Annual per capita electricity consumption in 2011 was12,150 kWh. Total capacity is 1055 GWe, less than one tenth of which is nuclear.

The USA has 100 nuclear power reactors in 31 states, operated by 30 different power companies. Since 2001 these plants have achieved an average capacity factor of over 90%, generating up to 807 billion kWh per year and accounting for 20% of total electricity generated. Capacity factor has risen from 50% in the early 1970s, to 70% in 1991, and it passed 90% in 2002, remaining at around this level since. In 2013 it was 91%. The industry invests about $7.5 billion per year in maintenance and upgrades of these.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-T-Z/USA--Nuclear-Power/


The price of natural gas is not going to stay down.

If you take coal out of the picture, which America has plenty of
see: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/09/biden-says-no-t/

And the nukes are already at capacity with only a handful coming way down the road and, these things never come online on time and on budget...

???