One of Texas' dirtiest coal plants will swap to solar with help from US grant

[Think. Again.]

Jameson Dow | Dec 21 2024 - 1:01 pm PT
Source: https://electrek.co/2024/12/21/one-of-texas-dirtiest-coal-plants-will-swap-to-solar-with-help-from-us-grant/

A coal plant in South Texas will shut down and convert to a solar + battery electricity generation facility, with the help of a $1.4 billion grant from the US Department of Agriculture meant to help clean energy while saving rural jobs.

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In total, the grants will support 5,000 jobs and reduced climate pollution by 11 million tons per year, according to the USDA. SMECI’s grant will reduce climate pollution by 1.8 million tons, as much removing 446,000 cars from the road, and support around 600 jobs.

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And pairing this solar power with grid-tied batteries will help to make the grid more resilient, too. Thermal power plants tend to take time to turn off and on, meaning it’s harder to manage unexpected peaks and troughs in electricity demand – plus, equipment at the plants tends to wear when it heats up and cools down a lot, contributing to the high costs of coal power. There have been numerous studies showing that new solar plants are cheaper than old coal – and that’s even ignoring externalities.

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Once this transition is completed, Texas will be left with 14 coal plants. In 2023, Texas generated 71GWh of electricity through coal, down from a peak of 157GWh in 2011. Electricity generation in the state was 37.2% coal in 2000, and just 13.1% in 2023.

Full article: https://electrek.co/2024/12/21/one-of-texas-dirtiest-coal-plants-will-swap-to-solar-with-help-from-us-grant/