Coal Is Uncompetitive. Why Do We Burn So Much?
Energy Gang11 Jun 2021

Coal Is Uncompetitive. Why Do We Burn So Much?

America gets 20 percent of its electricity from coal. That’s a 50 percent drop since the peak in 2007. But if coal is becoming so economically uncompetitive, why does it still make up so much of our grid mix?

This week: Coal is no longer king. But it still has a lot of power across the land. How do we banish it for good?

Katherine and Stephen welcome Joe Daniel as a guest co-host this week. Joe is a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Joe joins us to talk about the problem of coal plant “self-scheduling,” which locks in operation of dirty power plants even when the economics don’t make sense.

We’ll also look at how we unburden ourselves from the long-term agreements these coal plants are under? One solution is to buy back debt through securitization — basically like refinancing a mortgage. How will it work?

Finally, we’ll discuss the numbers behind nationalizing the coal industry. Could we buy up the entire sector, shut it down, and then offer wages, healthcare, pensions, and job placement to displaced workers? It would only cost somewhere between $33 billion and $83 billion over 15 years, according to estimates from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Aurora Solar. Join Aurora on June 8th and 9th for the second annual virtual summit. Hear from, and interact with, industry leaders, policy makers, sales experts, and more. Get your questions ready, and save your spot by registering now.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Enel X, a leader in energy storage, DER management software, and smart electric vehicle charging stations to increase project value. Learn what Enel X can do for your business.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(577)

The new politics of power: What's really driving up American electricity bills? And what can we do about it?

The new politics of power: What's really driving up American electricity bills? And what can we do about it?

US residential electricity prices have risen by more than 40 per cent since the start of 2021, which is much faster than general inflation. Utilities requested a total of $31 billion in increased rate...

23 Jun 46min

Methane is both a problem and an opportunity: How market-based solutions can cut emissions even after climate policy has retreated

Methane is both a problem and an opportunity: How market-based solutions can cut emissions even after climate policy has retreated

Methane is the second-most important greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide. It has accounted for roughly 30% of human-induced global warming since the 19th century. But it is also a valued commodity, u...

15 Jun 50min

How AI is changing the natural gas industry

How AI is changing the natural gas industry

There are two great forces reshaping the world of energy today. The AI boom and the wave of investment in new data centres have sent power producers scrambling for generation capacity to meet soaring ...

12 Jun 43min

The Iran war and the energy transition: what happens when the world is focused on supply security, not emissions

The Iran war and the energy transition: what happens when the world is focused on supply security, not emissions

The conflict in the Middle East has created severe disruption to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, taking roughly 20% of global supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) off the market. It ...

9 Jun 49min

It is too hard to build things in America: Can permitting reform begin a new era for energy investment?

It is too hard to build things in America: Can permitting reform begin a new era for energy investment?

America is facing an energy supply crisis created by surging demand for electricity from data centres. A transition to a lower-carbon system requires massive investment in new clean energy infrastruct...

25 Mai 1h 1min

How US utilities are adapting to a high-growth world for power demand. The head of America's largest electricity industry group explains the critical role played by regulators

How US utilities are adapting to a high-growth world for power demand. The head of America's largest electricity industry group explains the critical role played by regulators

The era of stagnant electricity demand in the US is over. Data centres, electrification, and reshoring of manufacturing are driving a surge in demand that is stronger that anything that anyone current...

19 Mai 48min

Stress test: the Iran war and a US grid under pressure | Live from the ACORE Finance Forum, Day two

Stress test: the Iran war and a US grid under pressure | Live from the ACORE Finance Forum, Day two

The war with Iran has put a spotlight on the security and resilience of energy and supply chains around the world. In this second special episode from the ACORE Finance Forum in New York, host Ed Croo...

14 Mai 1h 33min

Data, power and dollars: financing the AI energy boom | live from the ACORE finance forum in New York

Data, power and dollars: financing the AI energy boom | live from the ACORE finance forum in New York

The numbers are staggering. The “magnificent seven” Big Tech companies are expected to have combined capital spending of about $800 billion this year. Data centres’ electricity demand is soaring, and ...

13 Mai 1h 16min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
rss-skravla-gar
aftenbladet-intervjuer
pengepodden-2
rss-pa-konto
finansredaksjonen
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
utbytte
okonomiamatorene
liberal-halvtime
lederpodden
pengesnakk
rss-politisk-preik