One of the country's largest coal utilities will begin closing power plants next month in four states, as strict federal environmental regulations begin to kick in.
The company, American Electric Power, made the announcement in a notice advising employees at the electricity stations that it plans to close six power plants in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, according to news reports.
The company said it plans to shutter as much as 6,000 megawatts of power plant capacity in seven states by the start of 2016. The closures were planned as far back as 2011 to comply with new pollution regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, called the Mercury and Toxics Standard, that go into effect later this month.
The initial six power plants will close beginning May 31. The plants include the Philip Sporn, Kammer and Kanawha Valley power stations in West Virginia, the Muskingum River Plant in Ohio, the Tanners Creek Plant in Indiana and the Glen Lyn Plant in Virginia. The closures would affect 250 workers.
Coal plants are the target of several new pollution rules being implemented or proposed by the EPA.
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8 comments:
Here it comes.
Some might say 'so what'.
Next winter when it gets real cold and everybody's cranking up the heat.. and suddenly the power grid overloads and fails, well...
Or brownouts frying everybody's electronics.
Or rolling blackouts (which WILL happen regularly under this scenario..)
The war against coal is actually going to be a war against YOU.
YOU will pay for these stupid regulations.
I'm sure it will be warm and toasty at the White House.
948-Nat Gas powered power plants are displacing coal plants; not only due to the overly stringent new coal regs, but due to the historically low nat gas prices.
10:19,not enough nat gas plants online yet and electric grid to the max now,rolling blackouts are coming.
When and where has a new power plant of ANY kind been built lately, 10:19?
They've been worried about maxing the grid for the last 2 winters already. Wait till a few more plants close down.
Oh, yeah, and what about hot summers and air conditioning?
But I'm sure the UN will declare heat and A/C a human right.
thank Obama who wants everyone in america to suffer with high oil an gas prices for payback on attacking his religion.
1040-You can repeat your rhetoric, but the proof is in the pudding.
1104-In 2013, HALF of all power plant capacity addition came from Nat Gas. In 2013, an additional 6,861MW of Nat Gas power was generated. Power plants are constantly upgraded. It's less about "new" power plants, and more about upgrades to existing plants to increase output.
Nat Gas power generation outpaces all other growth in the power generation sector.
This is actually one of the promises that this POSOTUS is keeping!
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