As More Nuclear Plants Shut Down, Can Distributed Energy Fill the Gap?

Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Tech News, Environment, Sustainability, Innovation, Renewable Energy, Technology, Alternative Energy, Energy, News, Cleantech, Wind Energy, Business, Climate Change, Solar Energy

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2014

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the last couple of years, five nuclear power plants in the U.S. have been put on the list for closure. These plants are getting challenged from two sides: competitive natural gas and renewables are eroding the economics of merchant projects, while technical challenges associated with age are making the plants more expensive to operate. Some are cheering the slow, creaky demise of nuclear in the U.S. But others warn that if more plants come off line, U.S. emissions are headed for a steady increase – potentially 4 to 5 percent. In this week's show, we'll look at whether renewables and efficiency are capable of filling the gap left by retired nuclear plants. Later in the show, we'll talk about an infrastructure boondoggle in Australia that has raised rates there by up to 60 percent. Then, we'll look at how U.S. regulators are feeling about their role in meeting EPA carbon rules. This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This Podcast is brought to you by E-Gage Systems, Advanced Affordable and Reliable Energy Monitoring.
0:08.0	The E-Gage is a data logger, web server, and energy meter in one device.
0:13.0	With revenue-grade accuracy, e-gage can be used to optimize efficiency
0:17.0	and for solar monitoring and sub-metering.
0:20.0	Learn more at e-Gage.net.
0:23.0	For the week of July 17, 2014, this is the Energy Gang from Green Tech Media.
0:34.0	I'm Stephen Lacey, your co-host and editor of Green Tech Media in Washington, D.C.
0:45.0	I've got two other friendly voices here you might recognize with me.
0:48.4	Back from yet another national meeting of utility regulators, it's Catherine Hamilton a partner with 38 North
0:54.4	Solutions. Catherine you're back from Dallas. How was your time at the NARUC meeting?
0:58.8	Yeah, so it was great except Dallas in July is probably not the optimal time of year.
1:05.8	One day it was over a hundred.
1:07.3	I'm glad to be back in DC.
1:08.9	Let's just say the swamp is better right now than Texas. So I was talking to Cameron Brooks of E9
1:15.4	Incites who we've had on this show. He said he bumped into you and he asked
1:20.0	jokingly if we had any special handshakes or secret tattoos to signify that we were members of the energy gang.
1:25.9	Don't you wish we were that cool? Yeah, yeah, that's right. That would be very cool. But since we don't really ever we're never in the same place we can't
1:33.1	shake hands. I know but we did have an initiation process for all our
1:36.9	listeners wondering so in order to gain entry to the energy gang we had to
1:41.0	memorize title 18 chapter Chapter 1, Sub Chapter A of FERC's Code of Federal Regulations,
1:47.3	and Catherine kicked our butt, she beat us by a day. Well, off the streets of New York and terrorizing the good people of Arizona with his
1:56.9	solar propaganda is Jigger Shaw, the founder of Sun Edison and Jigger Shaw consulting.
	...

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