Dive Summary:
- Economists at the consulting firm Brattle Group released a new study predicting that 59,000 to 77,000 megawatts (MW) of coal plant capacity will be retired over the next five years.
- The report also estimates that $126 billion to $144 billion will need to be invested to retrofit and replace coal capacity at power plants.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules regarding emissions, cooling water and coal ash, as well as the state of the natural gas market, are expected to drive the trend.
From the article:
More U.S. coal-fired power plants could retire due to environmental regulations and weaker-than-expected electric demand, costing the industry up to $144 billion, economists at consultancy Brattle Group said.
In a new study, Brattle's economists forecast 59,000 to 77,000 megawatts (MW) of coal plant capacity would likely retire over the next five years. ...
