Watts Up With That? by David Middleton 1/14/2020
Jan 13, 2020, 10:33am
Texas Power Generation: Did Coal Get Blown Away By Wind?
University of Houston Energy Fellows Contributor Group
We are thought leaders in energy from the University of Houston.
Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Chief Energy Officer and Ed Hirs, Lecturer, Department of Economics
The precipitous drop in coal-based power generation in Texas, from 32% of consumption in 2017 to 20% in 2019, has been hailed as the most significant step in decarbonizing electricity production in Texas. The narrative in the media has suggested that the rapid demise of coal has resulted from the growth of wind power.
The data suggest a more complex narrative. While wind has grown considerably, especially early in the last decade, the decline of coal has largely been due to a resurgent natural gas industry.
The data for Texas’ power production over the last three years indicates that coal has instead been replaced largely through the growth of natural gas and only to a small extent due to wind. Specifically, the growth of high efficiency combined cycle natural gas production has driven most of the surge to replace aging coal assets. Coal-based power generation is expected to continue to slide as more coal-fired power plants are retired in favor of renewables (wind and solar) and, more frequently, natural gas-based power generation.
More:
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/01/14/texas-coal-did-not-get-blown-away-by-wind/
