July 22 - In just a matter of weeks the coal industry will get the opportunity to come together and discuss anything and everything related to coal-fired power generation. An anticipated crowd of over 4,500 attendees and 350 exhibitors will converge upon the David L. Lawrence Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. Aug. 8-12 for COAL-GEN 2010. This year marks the 10th anniversary for the industry’s most informative event. The sessions during COAL-GEN 2010 will cover all the latest topics that affect the design, development, upgrading and operation and maintenance of coal-fired power plants. During the conference, attendees will get the chance to listen to industry leaders discuss topics ranging from “co-firing coal and biomass” to “NOx control regulation and dry SOx control technologies” to “boiler optimization innovations.”
Kicking off the stay in Pittsburgh, on Monday morning I get the privilege of hosting the technical tour at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station for Power Engineering magazine. I, along with other COAL-GEN 2010 attendees, will get to see the 2,460 MW capacity station up close, inside and out. The plant, which uses more than seven million tons of coal annually and has three separate coal-fired units, will be a great place to start off the stay in The ‘Burgh.
The keynote session on Tuesday morning provides three outstanding speakers for conference ‘goers to listen to:
Mr. James F. Woods is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Clean Coal in the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy. With over 30 years of experience in the power industry, he is responsible for the management and direction of the Office’s clean coal research and development programs.
Dr. Robert Wayland is the Leader of the Combustion Group for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. Having over 20 years experience in air quality programs, Dr. Wayland manages the development of air regulations for industrial and utility combustion sources. He is also involved in the Agency’s development of multi-pollutant emissions strategy for the utility sector which includes the final Clean Air Interstate Rule.
Professor Frank Clemente, a professor of Social Science at Penn State University, is the former Director of the university’s Environmental Policy Center. Prof. Clemente has published more than 100 articles in energy related media and his research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation.
All three speakers will have very timely topics for us all to listen and take notes to. I am excited to attend this event and expand my knowledge on not just the coal-fired generation aspect of power generation, but power generation as a whole.
I hope to see you in Pittsburgh!
For a complete list of conference activities, log onto the COAL-GEN 2010 website.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Nuclear Renaissance in the U.S.?
July 13, 2010
With the oil crisis in the Gulf and the newly released transport rule from the EPA calling for reductions in SO2 and NOx emissions that would cross state lines, the nuclear renaissance conversation seems to be picking up again in the States. But Westinghouse Senior Vice President of Nuclear Power Plants Deva Chari said the oil spill in the Gulf will no have no impact, whether positive or negative, on the future of nuclear power generation.
Learning lessons from the Three Mile Island accident, the nuclear industry is gaining interest in the U.S. That is shown with the 18 applications for operating licenses submitted to the NRC over the last three years. Thirteen of those applications are currently under review by the NRC.
“The future is extremely bright,” said Chari.
And the Obama administration has made it clear that it will support new nuclear plants in this country. On Feb. 16, President Obama awarded the first loan guarantee for a nuclear plant under the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The award of $8.3 billion for two additional reactors at the Vogtle plant in Georgia is conditional until the plant receives the combine construction and operating license from the NRC, which is expected in 2011.
“This is so important not just for Georgia, not just for Georgia Power, but it is important I think for the future of nuclear power in this country,” said Georgia Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise.
Another major developing project in the U.S. is at the V.C. Summer plant in South Carolina. South Carolina Electric and Gas plans to build two new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors to add on to the current 966 MW being produced. If the NRC issues the construction license in 2011 then SCE&G plan to bring the first of the new units online in 2016.
NEI Senior Director of Business Policy and Programs Leslie Kass said they see new construction getting off the ground with more fully developed construction schedules.
“Depending on how those projects go, and we expect them to go very well, we think things will take off,” said Kass.
If the industry does get the boost it needs, Kass thinks we will see four to eight plants online by the 2016-2020 timeframe with companies taking steps to get back into the market when more financial recovery happens.
So it seems to be a talking point right now in the industry that we can expect to see a nuclear renaissance in the U.S. But hasn’t this conversation come up in the past? And if the U.S. is going to see a nuclear renaissance, then the next question is how large.
In the September issue of Nuclear Power International I will be reporting on new projects taking place both in the United States and internationally. Focusing on cost, my discussions with nuclear power executives will give us a better picture of where the industry is moving from here.
With the oil crisis in the Gulf and the newly released transport rule from the EPA calling for reductions in SO2 and NOx emissions that would cross state lines, the nuclear renaissance conversation seems to be picking up again in the States. But Westinghouse Senior Vice President of Nuclear Power Plants Deva Chari said the oil spill in the Gulf will no have no impact, whether positive or negative, on the future of nuclear power generation.
Learning lessons from the Three Mile Island accident, the nuclear industry is gaining interest in the U.S. That is shown with the 18 applications for operating licenses submitted to the NRC over the last three years. Thirteen of those applications are currently under review by the NRC.
“The future is extremely bright,” said Chari.
And the Obama administration has made it clear that it will support new nuclear plants in this country. On Feb. 16, President Obama awarded the first loan guarantee for a nuclear plant under the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The award of $8.3 billion for two additional reactors at the Vogtle plant in Georgia is conditional until the plant receives the combine construction and operating license from the NRC, which is expected in 2011.
“This is so important not just for Georgia, not just for Georgia Power, but it is important I think for the future of nuclear power in this country,” said Georgia Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise.
Another major developing project in the U.S. is at the V.C. Summer plant in South Carolina. South Carolina Electric and Gas plans to build two new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors to add on to the current 966 MW being produced. If the NRC issues the construction license in 2011 then SCE&G plan to bring the first of the new units online in 2016.
NEI Senior Director of Business Policy and Programs Leslie Kass said they see new construction getting off the ground with more fully developed construction schedules.
“Depending on how those projects go, and we expect them to go very well, we think things will take off,” said Kass.
If the industry does get the boost it needs, Kass thinks we will see four to eight plants online by the 2016-2020 timeframe with companies taking steps to get back into the market when more financial recovery happens.
So it seems to be a talking point right now in the industry that we can expect to see a nuclear renaissance in the U.S. But hasn’t this conversation come up in the past? And if the U.S. is going to see a nuclear renaissance, then the next question is how large.
In the September issue of Nuclear Power International I will be reporting on new projects taking place both in the United States and internationally. Focusing on cost, my discussions with nuclear power executives will give us a better picture of where the industry is moving from here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)