USA Today: Planned coal-power closings won’t cut CO2 much – ‘Will do almost nothing to reduce’ CO2
'Plan to retire more than 10% of coal-fired generators within a decade will do almost nothing to reduce the nation's emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, a USA TODAY analysis finds. The 140 slated retirements — mostly small, old generating units in the Midwest and South — account for only 4% of all CO2 emitted last year by U.S. power plants. In fact, not one ranks among the top 100 units for carbon emissions and only 12 are among the 475 units that comprise the top 10% of emitters, according to a review of 2013 federal data. These findings show that cutting carbon emissions enough to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's 30% national target by 2030 will probably require many more coal retirements and lock in the nation's energy shift toward natural gas and renewable power.'
'USA TODAY's analysis suggests states will need to go well beyond the planned coal retirements to reach their targets.'
Coal-fired facilities are a particular target, because many are old — the average age is 42 — and dirty. They account for three-fourths of all CO2 emitted by U.S. power plants, which are the largest source of the nation’s carbon pollution…
The rule could have a major impact on jobs. The coal industry could lose 35,000 to 38,000 “job years” — the equivalent of a full-time job for one year — by 2030, but more than 100,000 could be created in the energy-efficiency sector, according to the EPA’s impact analysis. Where in the country these jobs will be lost or added remains to be seen…
The upcoming unit retirements, slated to occur by 2021, are clustered in a few states, EIA data show. Ohio has the most, nearly one-sixth of the total, followed by Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama and West Virginia…
The top 100 emitters — all coal — account for only 2% of generating units but 25% of total plant emissions. They are located predominantly in five states. Texas has the most, 19, followed by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alabama and Georgia.
The top 10% of emitters, which include 475 generating units that are mostly coal-fired, account for a much bigger share of carbon released from power plants — 69%.
