Forecasts and Drivers for Coal, Nuclear, Gas and Renewables – Hot Topic Hour July 19, 2012

Next Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine will display forecasts of future generation by each fuel type for the various regions of the world.  The supporting discussion will analyze the factors on which the forecasts are based. Variables which could change the forecasts will also be addressed.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions relative to specific countries and to request and view individual country forecasts.  During the meeting there will be access to the McIlvaine Fossil and Renewables market reports. Some of the topics which will be included are:

·         Forecasts of new coal-fired generation in China, India and Vietnam

·         Nuclear forecasts for Japan, Germany and China

·         Availability and price of natural gas including shale gas supply

·         Transmission factors

·         Cost of renewables including solar, nuclear, biomass, wind and hydro

·         New technologies including oxy combustion, wave, algae and  small modular reactors

·         Combining power generation with other processes such as production of liquids and heat

·         Carbon capture and sequestration issues

·         Environmental  regulations  and their influence on future generation by region

The reactor meltdown in Japan is a good example of the difficulty in predicting future generation selections.  Just within the last month there has been a wide variation of predictions relative to the availability and, more importantly, price of shale gas in Poland and China.

The influence of future environmental regulations will continually need to be assessed and changes to the forecasts adjusted accordingly. There are ways that the utility industry can change public perceptions and the confrontational relationships with the environmental community and, thus, change the regulatory impact.  A recommended approach will be briefly explained.

This 90-minute webinar is free of charge to subscribers to McIlvaine market reports, the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System and Power Plant Air Quality Decisions. The cost for non-subscribers is $400.   To register for this event, click here:  http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration

On Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power webinars are free for subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality Decisions or Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System. The cost is $125.00 for non-subscribers. Market Intelligence webinars are free to McIlvaine market report

Here are the Headlines for the July 6, 2012 – Utility E-Alert

 UTILITY E-ALERT

#1082– July 6, 2012

Table of Contents

COAL – US

§  EPA finalizing revisions to Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP)

§  EPA grants Temporary Stay for San Juan Coal-fired Power Plant

§  EPA sets Canyon Smog Rule

§  Court blocks EPA Regional Haze Rule for Oklahoma Coal-fired Power Plants

COAL – WORLD

§  Aboitiz Power signs $546 Million Deal for construction of Coal-fired Power Project

§  Mahagenco to Start Own Coal Washery by 2014

GAS / OIL – US

§  NJ Company to acquire Salem Power Plant - will build New Gas-fired Power Station

GAS / OIL – WORLD

§  Siemens to build 585 MW Combined Cycle Gas-fired Power Plant in Germany

§  Israel Chemicals to build $320 Million Gas-fired Power Plant

§  ABB gets US$120 Million Power Project in Iraq

§  PKN to pick Contractor in Q3 to build 500 MW Gas-fired Power Plant

§  India's Mahagenco scraps Bids for $843 Million Power Project

§  BHEL completes 250 MW Advanced Class Gas Turbine Setup at Pragati-III, Delhi, India

§  Siemens deploys Two New Gas Turbines for Hail Plant in Saudi Arabia

§  Gas-fired Erbil Power Plant to boost output 500 MW with GE Technology

BIOMASS

§  Andritz to supply Biomass Boiler Island to Karlstads Energi, Sweden

CO₂

§  New York Adopts CO₂ Emission Limit for Power Plants - Lower than Proposed Federal Standard

§  EPA Decides Not to Lower GHG Permitting Thresholds 

§  Congressional Report Finds US Funding for CCS has been Ineffective; Recommends Other Policy Options

§  Australia’s Controversial $24/ton Carbon Tax Goes into Effect

§  Australian Carbon Tax Prompts Closure of Munmorah Coal Power Station, Site of Carbon Capture Pilot

NUCLEAR

§  Westinghouse submits Bid to CEZ for AP1000 Power Plant to complete Temelin Nuclear Units 3 and 4

§  FPL increasing St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Capacity

§  DOJ Antitrust Division Won't Challenge Nuclear Alliance

BUSINESS

§  Duke-Progress Merger approved by North Carolina Utilities Regulators

§  E.ON ends Waste-to-Energy Business Sale Following Low Bids

HOT TOPIC HOUR

§  “New Developments in Power Plant Air Pollution Control” - Hot Topic on July 12 - Free of Charge

§  Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

For more information on the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/energy.html#42ei.

                             Power Plant Air Pollution Orders to Exceed $21 Billion This Year

Thousands of air pollution projects will be initiated this year at the 7,000 coal-fired boilers which are generating electricity around the world. The total order value will be $21.9 billion as displayed in the McIlvaine Utility Environmental Tracking System. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

2012 Power Plant Air Pollution Projects Worldwide

These are large orders ranging up to more than $100 million in some cases.  There are large differences in lead time, so flue gas desulfurization (FGD) orders let in 2012 will not be installed until 2015.  Since the McIlvaine system tracks the startup date, the date of placement of the purchase order can be calculated.  In fact, the actual P.O. date is often not precise. Utilities place “letters of intent” or commitments for just the preliminary engineering and later place orders for the balance of the project.

Many FGD systems have reached old age. The corrosive atmosphere ensures that the life of components is shortened to less than twenty years.  Substantial upgrades are being undertaken in Europe and the U.S.  Most of the new FGD projects are in Asia.

In the U.S., architect engineers such as Sargent & Lundy, Bechtel and Black & Veatch are preparing specifications and assisting the end user make selections. Elsewhere in the world, the end users are more likely to deal directly with the systems suppliers such as Alstom, Doosan, Hitachi, Babcock & Wilcox and Siemens.

The number of electrostatic precipitator projects greatly exceeds those employing fabric filters. This makes the power industry unique.  Cement, incineration and steel plants have all shown preferences for fabric filters.

There are a number of NO_x control projects in the bidding stage. Most of the power projects involve selective catalytic reduction (SCR) instead of selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR).  The projects in Asia mostly involve new power plants. The projects in the U.S. and Europe are mostly retrofit projects to meet changing regulations.

For more information on Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/energy.html#42ei 

Utilities Embrace Solar Power

McIlvaine’s Renewal Energy Projects and Update tracks the incentive programs introduced by utilities.

PG&E Ranked as Nation’s Top Utility for Solar Installations

A new survey by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) ranks Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) as the nation’s top electric utility in the amount of solar power added to its system in 2011. PG&E is the first in the Annual Solar Megawatts category of the more than 240 utilities that participated in SEPA’s 2011 Utility Solar Rankings survey.

“PG&E is pleased to support our customers’ choice to go solar so they can realize the benefits of solar energy for their homes and businesses,” said Helen Burt, Senior Vice President of Customer Care for PG&E. “We remain committed to providing our customers with clean, reliable, and affordable energy, including an increasing amount of power from large utility-driven solar projects.

PG&E helped more than 12,000 customers in Northern and Central California connect 162 MW of solar at their homes and businesses in 2011, bringing the total number of customer solar installations to more than 63,000. It also connected 135 MW of new large solar projects for the benefit of all customers. This includes PG&E’s own expanding solar facilities, which when completed will deliver 250 MW of clean energy — enough to power about 150,000 average customer homes.

PSE&G Ranked Second in Nation for Solar Energy

Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) had the second most solar capacity of any American utility added to its electric system last year, according to Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). The designation came from SEPA’s 2011 Utility Solar Rankings report released in April, which included more than 240 utilities. In addition, PSE&G ranked ninth in the amount of solar capacity installed last year per customer,

During 2011, 181 solar megawatts were added in PSE&G’s service territory, a 142 percent increase from 2010. That total includes customer systems and solar projects that PSE&G developed. PSE&G’s Solar 4 All™ and Solar Loan programs either installed or helped finance more than 20 percent of the 181-MW total. PSE&G has placed in the top five in SEPA’s annual survey for four consecutive years.

FirstEnergy’s Ohio Utilities Meet 2012 Benchmarks for In-State Solar Renewable Energy

FirstEnergy Corp. announced that its Ohio utilities — Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison — have met the 2012 benchmarks for in-state solar renewable energy that were established under Ohio’s energy law. The benchmarks were met through a successful Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure 10-year Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs).

In Ohio, FirstEnergy supports the development of solar energy resources by purchasing SRECs, which represent the environmental attributes of solar renewable electricity generation. For every megawatt hour of solar renewable electricity generated, an equivalent amount of SRECs are produced.

The RFP sought and procured the delivery of 1,000 SRECs produced by generating facilities throughout Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2021. There were 38 qualified bids received offering over 15 times the required SRECs being sought under the RFP.

FPL to Reopen Application Period for Solar Photovoltaic Rebate Program

Florida Power & Light Company (FPC) announced that beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, customers interested in installing a solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) system can apply for 2012 incentive funding.

As part of an ongoing pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to help reduce energy consumption and peak demand, FPL will offer PV solar rebates on a first-come, first-served basis for residential and business customers.

FPL suggests that customers who are interested in applying for the solar rebate to prepare in advance of May 3 and have all the necessary components of the application ready. Funds are expected to run out quickly, so interested customers should plan to apply for rebates as soon as the application period opens.

For more information on Renewable Energy Projects and Update please visit

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Renewable_Energy_Projects_Brochure/renewable_energy_projects_brochure.htm

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Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com

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191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093

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