EC August 2014

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2 participants
3 discussions

New US-DOE report shows wind is cheaper than gas
by James Kotcon 19 Aug '14

19 Aug '14

The 2013 Wind Technologies Market Report from US-DOE shows that newly-installed wind-generated electricity is, as a national average, already cheaper than electricity from coal, and, if the PTC is included, is currently cheaper than gas-fired electricity. Since the PTC expired last year, wind may have to compete with gas without subsidies, but as costs continue to fall for wind, and are likely to rise for gas, wind is likely to compete well even without subsidies in the near future (5-10 years). Cost for wind are lowest in Interior Midwest states. Wind resources in most of the Mid-Atlantic states are of lower quality and are unlikely to be competitive with gas in the near term. A future cost for fossil carbon emissions will accelerate the market for wind as it is likely to further increase the costs for gas. Bottom line, no one is investing in coal, and investments in new gas infrastructure are increasingly risky as long-term investments. The Longview plant looked like a really good deal in 2003, but was not operational until 2011, and filed for bankruptcy in 2013. A new gas plant proposed today is unlikely to be operational in less than 3-5 years, by which time it may be unable to compete with wind in time to pay off its investment. See the full report, especially Figure 49, at: http://emp.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/2013_Wind_Technologies_Market_Report_Fin… Jim Kotcon

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Moundsville Power wants a PILOT Agreement
by James Kotcon 19 Aug '14

19 Aug '14

This reminds me of the PILOT agreement that Longview sought from Monongalia County in 2003. Anyone want to write comments? JBK Support sought for proposed state power plant The Associated Press MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. - Developers of a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in Marshall County are seeking the county's support of the project. Officials with Moundsville Power and the Regional Economic Development Partnership plan to make a formal presentation to the County Commission on Monday. The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reports that the developers are proposing an agreement under which the county would own the plant and lease it back to Moundsville Power to operate. Moundsville Power would pay about $1 million annually to the county in lieu of regular property taxes. The $615 million plant would be located in Moundsville. It would generate 549 megawatts of electricity and use about 100 million cubic feet of gas per day. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140818/GZ01/140819283/

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WVU's solar Decathalon housegoes to WV Botanic Garden
by James Kotcon 13 Aug '14

13 Aug '14

I had been trying to find out what happened to this, now we know. JBK http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w… Home<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/> / Press Releases<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n> WVU donates Solar Decathlon house to West Virginia Botanic Garden<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w…> August 12th, 2014 The West Virginia University<http://www.wvu.edu/> house built for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon has found a new place to call home. The University has donated the Preserving Energy with Appalachian Knowledge<http://solar.wvu.edu/peak-2013> house to the West Virginia Botanic Garden<http://www.wvbg.org/>, located in Morgantown. The house was recently moved from its current location on WVU's Evansdale Campus to the Garden, where it will be used for office space, group meeting space and displays. "The West Virginia Botanic Garden will be an ideal permanent location for the house," said Brian Woerner<http://www.lcsee.statler.wvu.edu/faculty/faculty-detail.php?id=465&type=fac…>, chair of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering<http://www.lcsee.statler.wvu.edu/> at WVU. "The Garden has a mission to promote the best use of natural resources, and the historical significance and natural beauty of state. The PEAK house fits perfectly with that mission." "This is the realization of a long-recognized need for a building on site," explained Bill Johnson, president of the West Virginia Botanic Garden board of directors. "WVU's donation of the PEAK House, combined with financial support from friends of the Garden, components makes this possible." The team from WVU built the house for the 2013 Solar Decathlon, which brings together students from around the world to design and build an ultra-efficient, solar energy sustainable and livable house. The PEAK house was the first log-style home to be accepted to the Decathlon, representing WVU's roots in Appalachia. Its design earned the team top honors in the category for Integration of Nature and Technology. "In support of our mission, we strive to develop and manage the garden in a sustainable and ecologically responsible manner. The 'green' design of the building is a perfect fit with this philosophy, and demonstrates the Garden's commitment to these principles," said Johnson. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, students and professors will use the house while it is on the Botanic Garden grounds to study the use of nanotechnology and to develop healthy and sustainable indoor living environments. "The house will be used for regular measurements of efficiency of power generation and use from the solar panels over the next several years," said Woerner. "The Solar Decathlon provided a unique educational experience that fulfilled the senior design requirements for a significant number of students. The donation of the house assures that the work of WVU students will be enjoyed by visitors to the Garden for many years to come." The Botanic Garden is located at 1061 Tyrone Road, and is open daily, free of charge, from dawn to dusk. For more information, visit www.wvbg.org<http://www.wvbg.org>. -WVU- wbk/08/12/14 CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources 304.293.4086, Mary.Dillon(a)mail.wvu.edu<mailto:Mary.Dillon@mail.wvu.edu> - See more at: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w…

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EC August 2014