News
|
CPUC Approves Contract for Biomass Repowering at Coal-fired Facility
LCG, February 5, 2010--The California Public Utilities Commission approved a power purchase agreement between PG&E and Mt. Poso Cogeneration Company, LLC for renewable energy from the Mt. Poso Cogeneration facility, located near Bakersfield, California.
|
|
Record Year for New Wind Power Installations in the U.S.
LCG, January 29, 2010--The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced the U.S. wind industry set a new record by installing nearly 10,000 MW of new generating capacity last year. With the additions, the wind turbine generating capacity in the U.S. now totals over 35,000 MW.
|
|
|
Industry News
Texas Commission Approves SWEPCO's Proposed Coal-fired Power Plant
LCG, July 8, 2008--The Public Utility Commission of Texas last week approved a proposal from Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) to build a coal-fired electric generating facility in southwest Arkansas. Prior to proceeding with construction of the facility, SWEPCO awaits a number of permits, including the receipt of an air permit from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
On July 3, the Commission approved the proposal by a vote of 2-1 and rejected the recommendation from an administrative law judge (ALJ). Last January, the ALJ concurred with Texas Industrial Energy Consumers and with the staff of the Commission and recommended to deny the application for a certificate of convenience and necessity to build the John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant. The ALJ had stated, "SWEPCO failed to prove that there is a need for the plant."
SWEPCO, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), proposed to construct a 600-MW, coal-fired plant in Hempstead County, Arkansas to serve retail and wholesale customers in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. The estimated cost of the facility is $1.52 billion. The proposed facility will use ultra-supercritical technology and will burn sub-bituminous, Powder River Basin (PRB) coal from Wyoming.
In a 2-1 decision last November, the Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (CECPN) to construct the plant.
In March, the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) unanimously approved SWEPCO's request to build the plant, including a requirement for SWEPCO to prepare and submit a study that identifies potential, cost-effective energy efficiency and load management programs for SWEPCO's Louisiana customers.
SWEPCO's application to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for an air permit is pending, and a SWEPCO spokesperson stated that they hope to receive the air permit by the third quarter of this year. Another project hurdle is opposition from some hunting clubs and landowners in Arkansas that believe the plant will harm the local environment, and they have appealed the Arkansas Public Service Commission's ruling to the state Court of Appeals.
|
|
|