U.S. Coal Plants Prepare for Maintenance, with Many Facing Eventual Closure

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. coal-fired power sector continues to see a dim future. Although the 2.7 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity scheduled to retire in 2021 represents a slowdown from previous years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), power producers consumed 30% less coal in the first half of 2020 than during the same period in 2019. Plants remaining operational will depend on consistent maintenance to remain efficient. Industrial Info is tracking 38 maintenance-related projects at coal-fired power plants across the U.S. that are set to begin before the end of the first quarter.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing maintenance-related projects at U.S. coal-fired power plants that are set to kick off through the end of March, by plant owner.

PacifiCorp (Portland, Oregon), an electric utility unit of Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated (NYSE:BRK.A) (Omaha, Nebraska), is preparing to retire most of its coal-fired power plants in the coming years, including several in coal-rich Wyoming. Last year, PacifiCorp told Wyoming regulators that it plans to develop wind, solar and battery-storage facilities across the Rocky Mountain region as part of a shift to newer sources; among the plants proposed to close before 2030 are the Dave Johnston Power Station in Glenrock; the Naughton Power Station in Kemmerer; and the Jim Bridger Power Station in Point of Rocks, Wyoming.

Each of these plants, which will continue operations in the near future, is preparing for a first-quarter maintenance outage: Unit 4 at Dave Johnson, which generates 360 megawatts (MW); Unit 1 at Naughton, which generates 163 MW; and Unit 1 at Jim Bridger, which generates 578 MW. PacifiCorp believes the transition to lower-carbon energy sources will save money for ratepayers in the long run. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the Dave Johnson, Naughton and Jim Bridger outages.

Other major power producers preparing for outages before the end of the first quarter include Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) (Richmond, Virginia), which is inspecting the 386-MW Unit 1 at its Wateree Power Station in Eastover, South Carolina; ArcLight Capital Holdings LLC (Boston, Massachusetts), which is looking at the 936-MW Unit 1 at its Conemaugh Power Station in New Florence, Pennsylvania; and Vistra Energy Corporation (NYSE:VST) (Irving, Texas), which is readying the 1,024-MW units 7 and 8 at its Miami Fort Power Station in North Bend, Ohio. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the Wateree, Conemaugh and Miami Fort outages.

Talen Energy Corporation (The Woodlands, Texas) on November 10 said it would eliminate the use of coal at all its wholly owned generators by 2025, but the company holds only a partial interest in the Conemaugh station, which is not facing any plans to close. Vistra said last year that the Miami Fort station would close by the end of 2027.

Omaha Public Power District is preparing for outages at two units at the Nebraska City Power Station in Nebraska City, which has one of the youngest coal-fired units in the country. The 616-MW Unit 1 and the 738-MW Unit 2, which was brought online in 2009, service Omaha through a 40-year agreement and are not facing any plans to close. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports for Unit 1 and Unit 2.

Other stations with no known closure plans include Kansas City Power & Light Company's (Kansas City, Kansas) La Cygne Power Station in La Cygne, Kansas, which is preparing for a first-quarter outage on the 685-MW Unit 2, and Otter Tail Corporation's (NASDAQ:OTTR) (Fergus Falls, Minnesota) Coyote Power Station in Beulah, North Dakota, which will inspect the 450-MW Unit 1. Kansas City Power & Light Company is a subsidiary of Evergy (NYSE:EVRG) (Kansas City, Missouri), while Otter Tail co-owns the Coyote station with Northern Municipal Power Agency, Montana-Dakota Utilities and NorthWestern Energy. For more information, see Industrial Info's reports on the La Cygne and Coyote projects.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.