Engineering360: "Emission Controls Didn't Save This Coal-Fired Power Plant"

Tell me again about this "Clean Coal". LoL

I still don't understand why they're being shut down. You mentioned the investment to clean it up. But you didn't mention the effectiveness of that investment. Did it work or not? If it's not because of "dirty" coal, then why shut them down? Even if they are idled, they would still make a very good standby in an emergency. I wouldn't scrap them just yet.

Much to the Koch bros. dismay, Wisconsin utilities are investing in and converting to NG and Wind as these older coal plants become untenable. The conversion to NG is only done on plants that are above a certain efficiency rating. Not sure how that is calculated, but it has ended almost a dozen coal plants in the last 10 years.

If not convertible, they are mothballed until the utility company gets around to dismantling the site and doing the clean up. Now if you are some notable power companies, you delay this process until you go out of business or file bankruptcy and then stick the US tax payer with the cost of tear down and clean up. It's the NeoCon way.