Year of Big Decisions About Retiring or Retrofitting Coal-Fired Units

摘要

For the electric utility sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory compliance timelines have started the clock ticking about big decisions that will have to be made about whether to retrofit or to retire existing coal-fired boilers. If the utility's decision is to retrofit their boilers with new air quality control equipment, then what air quality controls are likely to meet existing and potentially future regulations? What impact does the air quality control equipment have on other operations? What significant maintenance costs are likely required to keep the boilers operating for another two decades? What are expected delivered coal prices? Is a carbon tax in the foreseeable future?