|
News
|
LCG, May 30, 2025--NuScale Power Corporation (NuScale), a leading provider of advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology, yesterday announced that it has received design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its uprated 77 MW power modules. NuScale states that it remains the only SMR technology company with design approval from the NRC, and the company remains on track for deployment by 2030, with 50- and 77-MW SMR options.
Read more
|
|
LCG, May 29, 2025--The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an analysis yesterday showing that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the grid operator for most of the state, is increasing its curtailment of the rapidly growing solar- and wind-powered generation facilities in order to balance electricity supply and demand, which is necessary to maintain a stable electric system.
Read more
|
|
|
Industry News
Costs Rise for AEP's Proposed New IGCC Plant in West Virginia
LCG, June 22, 2007--American Electric Power (AEP) announced earlier this week that the estimated cost to build its coal-fired, power plant that employs an advanced, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) design has risen to $2.23 billion, which is over 70 percent more than previous estimates. The cost increases are due to increases in steel and other construction material costs, as well as higher labor costs, according to the company.
The proposed coal plant would have an electric generating capacity of about 630 MW and would be located adjacent to the existing Mountaineer Plant. The new plant is scheduled to commence operations by mid-2012.
AEP?s subsidiary, Appalachian Power Co., filed testimony this week in West Virginia with the Public Service Commission requesting a $108 million per year rate increase to support the construction.
The significant rise in costs for a new coal plant is not unusual. In May 2005, Duke filed an application with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to build two 800-MW, coal-fired electric generating units at the existing Cliffside Steam Station in North Carolina. The estimated cost to build the traditional, pulverized coal plant was $2 billion. In October 2006, Duke filed a revised, cost estimate with the Commission of $3 billion, which represents a cost increase of 50%.
Appalachian Power filed an application in January 2006 with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia seeking authority to construct the IGCC plant. AEP also signed an agreement with GE Energy and Bechtel to estimate the cost and equipment needs for building both the West Virginia facility and a similar plant in Ohio.
In October of last year, AEP announced that it filed environmental permit applications with West Virginia and Ohio to build the new plants that employ the advanced, IGCC design.
The IGCC process converts coal into a synthesis gas and minimizes most of the sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury (Hg) and other emissions before the gas fuels a combustion turbine generator. The hot exhaust gas from the turbine heats water to produce steam to power a steam turbine and generate electricity a second time.
In general, the improved thermal efficiency and reduced emissions of an IGCC plant are expected to provide benefits that may out-weigh the higher capital costs over the economic life of the plant. In addition, the IGCC design is expected to provide for a more cost-effective means to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) relative to traditional coal plants.
|
|
|
|
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
|
|
|
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
|
|
|
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
|
|
|
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
|
|
|
|
|
