U.S. POWER INDUSTRY 2014 FORECAST: TURNOVER OF THE GENERATION FLEET SPEEDS UP; GAS PROJECTS DOMINATE PLANS FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS

摘要

The U.S. power business had a particularly lively and litigious year in 2013, and signs point to more of the same in 2014. Inside the Washington Beltway, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Congress and the federal courts continue to tussle over energy and environmental policy, forcing industry participants to make expensive decisions about fuel, equipment and strategy in a policy environment where questions outnumbered answers. For 2014, renewables and gas-fired generation look to be the clear winners, while coal and nuclear are the big losers. We see that trend continuing for several more years. But around 2017, some wonder if federal efforts to clean and decarbonize the nation's power supply will create, once again, a competitive opening for nuclear power.