Blog Posts: power plants

While the world collectively reduced its coal capacity over the past 18 months, China added 43 gigawatts (GW). The move may ultimately increase the economic costs of China’s energy economy over the coming decades.

Pennsylvania's planned entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative marks the first time a major fossil-fuel producing state has joined the cooperative, which aims to cap carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants. It won't solve all the Keystone State's energy challenges, but it's a big step forward.

Fourteen of India’s 20 largest thermal utilities experienced at least one shutdown due to water shortages between 2013-2016, at a cost of $1.4 billion. It's a taste of what's to come in a warmer, more crowded world.

Power plants use a lot of water for cooling, but most don't disclose how much. A new WRI methodology calculates their thirst by using Google Earth images.

Thermal power plants rely on water for cooling, which means droughts can push generation offline. In India, reports describe this vulnerability—itself just another reason to speed the transition to renewables.

The Trump administration is expected to release an executive order that would direct the EPA to roll back the Clean Power Plan. The move will hurt America's economy, health and security.

New WRI research examines economic analyses of the U.S. Clean Power Plan. We found there isn't any credible information to support Scott Pruitt's and Donald Trump's claims that the plan will threaten the affordability of U.S. power generation.

"No one's actually making money from coal-fired power plants in the United States right now," said David Crane at WRI's MindShare event. That may seem a strange sentiment coming from a man who led NRG Energy, one of America's biggest power companies, but Crane is far from the typical energy exec.

New WRI analysis shows that Wisconsin can reduce its power sector emissions 21 percent below 2012 levels by 2030 just by following through on existing clean energy policies and making more efficient use of power plants. With a few additional steps, the state can far exceed the emissions reductions required by the Clean Power Plan.

EPA is continuing to provide states with the tools and support to reduce their power sector emissions, and many states and utilities have said they will continue their plans to comply with the Clean Power Plan despite the recent stay.