Search

Concerns around reliability in China’s electricity sector have rekindled interest in a traditional solution: building more coal-fired generation. However, over the past decade China’s electricity sector has seen significant changes in supply costs, demand patterns, and regulation and markets over the past decade, with falling costs for renewable and storage generation, “peakier” demand, and the creation of initial wholesale markets. These changes suggest that traditional approaches to evaluating the economics of different supply options may be outdated. This paper illustrates how a net capacity cost metric – fixed costs minus net market revenues – might be better suited to evaluating supply options in China. Using a simplified example with recent resource cost data, the paper illustrates how, with a net capacity cost metric, solar PV and electricity storage may be a more cost-effective option for meeting demand growth than coal-fired generation.

The integrated development of coal and new energy sources is crucial for the smooth transition of China’s energy system and the security and stable supply of energy. Considering China’s resource endowment and its demand for energy supply security and transformation, this study elaborates on the significance and fundamental conditions regarding the integrated development of coal and new energy sources. Moreover, it summarizes the major forms, technical characteristics, and application status of the integrated development from the aspects of four scenarios: integration of coal mining, coal-fired power generation, coal chemical industry, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) with new energy sources. Emphasis is placed on five types of technologies: integration of coal development with new energy sources; combined dispatching of wind, solar, thermal, and storage; integration of solar thermal and coal-fired power generation; integration of solar thermal power generation with CCUS; and integration of green hydrogen with the coal chemical industry. Furthermore, this study explores the key technological challenges and breakthrough directions, and proposes the following suggestions: (1) incorporating the integrated development of coal and new energy sources into national strategies; (2) formulating action goals and roadmaps to systematically support the integrated development; (3) strengthening the research and development of technologies regarding coal and new energy sources; and (4) improving fiscal, financial, and talent support policies related to the integrated development.

Coal-fired power stations play a crucial role in India's energy landscape, providing 70% of the nation's electricity. Despite significant growth in power generation capacity, challenges persist, particularly shortages during peak demand periods. This heavy reliance on coal underscores the importance of efficient thermal power pla nts. To address efficiency concerns, the Indian government has implemented measures such as adopting supercritical technology and phasing out outdated units. However, declining coal stocks at many thermal power plants present ongoing challenges, prompting the need for additional coal imports. Globally, coal remains a dominant energy source, with China leading in power generation. Despite increasing efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources, coal continues to maintain a significant foothold in the global power sector, highlighting the complexities of the energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lock-in to existing assets and business practices is a major obstacle to the global objective of phasing out coal-fired power to accelerate decarbonization towards Paris Agreement goals. Japan has attracted attention in previous literature, with several studies demonstrating how market and political conditions have propelled investments in new coal-fired power plants while raising barriers to achieving a phase-out. But in addition to market-level conditions, firm-level characteristics – including assets, commitments, investment behaviour and future-oriented innovation activities – are also critical determinants of lock-in vulnerability. To deepen understanding of how such firm-level dynamics might affect the power industry, this empirical study takes the case of ten incumbent utilities in Japan to identify and compare potential sources of coal lock-in. We leverage diverse quantitative and qualitative data to assess the state of: (1) management, assets and operational factors; and (2) the development and deployment of next-generation coal technologies. Through this two-fold approach, we demonstrate how current conditions and future-oriented activities are likely to reinforce tendencies to continue using coal in coming decades, thereby hampering the emergence of phase-out ambitions. These findings harbour important implications for climate policy and the urgent need to end coal burning in the power sector. Japan's major power utilities all intend to maintain coal in power mixes while transitioning to net-zero by 2050, aiming to eliminate carbon emissions rather than coal-fired power per se. Ambitions to reduce dependence on coal are weakened by a multitude of potential lock-in sources across individual utilities. All utilities are attempting to commercialize next-generation technologies such as co-firing with ammonia and biomass, carbon capture and coal gasification. Phasing out coal in Japan thus requires climate policies that incentivize the development and diffusion of non-emitting power sources that offer faster emissions reduction than expensive and unproven technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though frequent availability of energy is vital for economic growth, using any energy source can have a certain degree of impact on the environment. Pakistan is facing the worst power crisis nowadays. The government of Pakistan has been focused to find energy solutions in fossil fuels. As the world moves toward a clean sustainable direction, coal sources are cheap at the moment, and new coal-based power plants can be put up quickly with a predictable output, but with the degradation of the environment, Pakistan can utilize sustainable energy resources such as biomass, solar energy, hydropower, and wind power, which are frequently available in Pakistan and can generate environment-friendly power above 40,000 MW. It is necessary to consider these sustainable energy resources, as their prices have been dipping dramatically, and it is now cheaper to build new commercial plants based on improved technologies able to generate more electricity. The present paper discusses the insight environment-friendly sustainable energy options available in Pakistan other than coal-fired plants to overcome future energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology is a vital technical path to realize the low-carbon transformation of the coal power industry as well as a key means to ensure the safe and stable operation of the future power system. However, the current development path of coupling coal power and CCUS technology is not clear, and there is room for the optimization of the corresponding policy mechanism. This paper quantitatively estimates the contribution of CCUS application in the coal power industry to China's low-carbon energy transition strategy, describes the future development path of coal power's CCUS industrialization from the spatio-temporal dimension, and further constructs a comprehensive supporting policy system framework. The results show that the development of coupling coal power and CCUS technology is technically and economically feasible, which can not only achieve deep decarbon-ization of the power system and bring significant output and employment dividends in the coal power industry, but also effectively control the average carbon price level of society. In terms of the temporal dimension, the development path of coal power's CCUS industrialization in the future should be divided into three stages: technology research, development, and demonstration (2021--2030), large-scale application (2030--2040), and commercial development (2040--2060). In terms of the spatial dimension, the technically and economically feasible regions for cluster development are the Ordos Basin, the Junggar Basin, the Bohai Bay Basin, etc. Constructing a comprehensive policy support system framework incorporating ' macro support, fiscal and tax finance, market mechanism, technology research, development, and demonstration, as well as management system' is conducive to realizing a large-scale CCUS application in the coal power industry. In the stage of technology research, development, and demonstration of coal power's CCUS application, more definitive incentive policies such as storage subsidies, compensation for power generation hours, and feed-in tariff subsidies should be implemented. When the project cost drops to a certain extent, there should be a gradual transition to market-based policy tools such as carbon trading and green electricity trading mechanisms, and green finance should also be promoted. Based on the relevant conclusions, some targeted policy suggestions are put forward to provide references for promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of China's coal power industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rollout of the carbon peak and neutrality targets, conventional coal-fired power plants will gradually be phased down in China's power system in an orderly manner. The economic and social impact of the energy transition is a vital topic that requires scientific measurements and evaluation. In this paper, we establish a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of provincial coal power phase-down with 11 indicators covering dimensions of economy, society, and industry. An entropy-based Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach is adopted to calculate entropy weight, relative closeness, and other evaluation benchmark data. Then, the influence degree in 30 provinces is ranked based on the assessment. The results show that there is a significant regional imbalance in the process of coal power phase-down, among which Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and other coal base provinces are the most vulnerable regions bound by their huge raw coal production and coal industry employment. Although the coal power industry is less affected than the coal industry, it will face pressure from the optimization of coal power units, followed by the dual impact of taxation and employment issues. Finally, the potential impacts of coal power phase-down and policy implications are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's higher emphasis on Renewable Energy adoption is aligned with the twin Sustainable Development Goals of tackling climate change (Goal 13) and ensuring sustainable, affordable, reliable energy for all (Goal 7). This study intends to evaluate the macroeconomic impact of India's ambitious 280 GW solar and 140 GW wind capacity expansion programme by 2030 using an Input-Output framework. The economic implications of solid waste generation and waste abatement in the End-of-life phase are evaluated. The solar and wind energy's economy-wide contribution is minimal; however, the solid waste generation is significant, ranging between 7.1–24 thousand tonnes of PV waste and 14.2–48.3 million tonnes of wind turbine waste in different solar and wind capacity mix. The solid waste abatement cost which constitutes the treatment of materials is aimed towards the attainment of the 3R strategy. The Green-GDP estimate by accounting for the net-environmental and health burden of solar and wind energy mix and the material waste generation witnesses 0.9 % to 1.52 % increase in net loss to GDP in different scenarios. The substantial emission savings of 11–23 % from the transition towards solar and wind energy can serve as a catalyst in helping India achieve its decarbonization targets. • India targets 280 GW solar and 140 GW wind capacity installation by 2030. • Steady phase-down of coal power will have a negative macroeconomic impact. • Coal replacement by solar and wind power will generate solid waste in EoL phase. • GHG and non-GHG savings between 11 and 23 % are witnessed by solar and wind energy mix. • Green-GDP estimates show a net loss between 0.9 % and 1.52 % of GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its carbon neutrality commitments and the prospect of increasingly stringent climate policy measures, China is continuing to build new coal-fired power plants. In assessing the expected performance of these investments, it is helpful to analyse them through an 'economic' framework measuring a broader view of the country-level economic returns on new coal power investments, as a complement to the plant-level financial analysis framework commonly used to assess stranded asset risks. This simplified economic framework, in which inputs and outputs are measured according to the costs and benefits they generate for the national economy, leads to markedly different dynamics than financial analysis alone. This framework can help China to avoid 'wasting' scarce public resources by over-investing in new uneconomic power plants through its state-owned enterprises. Applying this approach to a representative new coal plant in China shows that modest shadow carbon pricing (rising from US$15/tCO2 in 2026, to US$30/tCO2 in 2041) eliminates the expected value of the project to China's economy. Caps on coal-fired electricity generation have less impact on economic returns, but severely undermine financial returns, potentially making such caps a more effective short-term policy tool to dissuade company executives from making new coal investments. Without carbon pricing, only a moratorium on coal-fired power generation in 2030 or earlier prevents new plants from realizing a positive economic return. Comparing these results with an alternative solar/storage investment suggests the renewable option generates higher economic returns than the coal plant under modest shadow carbon pricing and lower electricity storage costs. Key policy insights Economic analysis of proposed coal plants complements plant-level financial analysis and better captures governments' interests in these projects. Both economic and financial analyses are relevant to the decision-making of government shareholders. State-led coal plant investments in China today is likely to be economically wasteful under modest future climate policy scenarios, particularly in light of declining levelized costs of renewable alternatives. This framework for combined financial and economic analysis also applies to other countries' proposed investments in carbon-intensive power generation. The framework is particularly pertinent for countries with state-led coal power investments planned, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federal regulations in the United States of America concerning the environment are currently in the process of being re-implemented and redeveloped after years of roll-back under the Trump Administration. This opinion recommends three steps that individual states could take to support stronger environmental policies, which are rooted in 'environmental justice' in relation to issuing emission permits, so as to mitigate the impact of industry upon overburdened communities, and in doing so improve air quality, whilst the federal government reworks its own standards. Given the current political situation, which is heavily contested, and the complicated legal structure of the USA the opinion concludes, that in the context of issuing permits, and having considered a range of environmental law issues at each level of the United States government, that states have a vital role to play in mitigating the 'environmental impact' of pollution on underserved communities, and in tackling other environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The study analyses the often neglected issue of the impact of shifting from coal-based to renewable energy on the functioning of individuals, society and public law associations, including municipalities. The article is to present an analysis of financial consequences for communes. Moreover, the analysis covers such issues as coal energy and tax revenue of the commune, RES and the tax revenues of the commune, fiscal and non-fiscal benefits for communes with RES from the Polish perspective. Material and methods the law-dogmatic method and the legal comparative method Results The development of renewable energy sources has a huge impact on the functioning of communes. It applies both to the fiscal and non-fiscal levels. While from the perspective of residents, community, and the environment, the elimination of coal-fired power generation is beneficial, the situation is a great deal different from the perspective of the commune's income. Some of the communes in Poland gain considerable revenues from coal-based power engineering, the reduction (or liquidation) of which will directly translate into reduced revenues. Obviously, thanks to the development of RES, some communes will increase their revenues related to the existence and operations of RES, however, it will not necessarily be those communes that will lose revenues related to the operation of coal-based power engineering. Conclusions Assuming that there is no turning back from low-emission power engineering, it is necessary to amend the legal acts related to the financing of local government units in order to adjust the allocation of public funds between the state and local government units in such a way that some municipalities can be partially compensated for the loss of revenues related to coal power engineering.

The past three decades have witnessed the dramatic expansion of global biomass‐ and fossil fuel‐fired power plants, but the tremendously diverse power infrastructure shapes different spatial and temporal CO2 emission characteristics. Here, by combining Global Power plant Emissions Database (GPED v1.1) constructed in this study and the previously developed China coal‐fired power Plant Emissions Database (CPED), we analyzed multi‐scale changes and underlying drivers from the globe to the unit in generating capacities, age structure, and CO2 emissions over the past 30 yr. Our estimates show global CO2 emissions from the power sector increased from 7.5 Gt in 1990 to 13.9 Gt in 2019, and the growth of power demand meeting by large and young units mainly drives this increase for all stages. However, regional drivers were broadly different from those affecting global trends. For example, the critical roles of thermal efficiency improvement (accounting for 20% of the decrease in CO2 emissions) by eliminating small and low‐efficient coal‐fired units and fossil fuel mix (61%) by developing natural‐gas‐ and oil‐fired units were identified in preventing CO2 emission increases in the developed regions. By contrast, the decrease of fossil fuel share by speeding up the expansion of renewable power gradually demonstrates its importance in curbing emissions in the most of regions, especially including the developing economies (i.e., China and India) after 2010. Our multi‐scale results of 30 yr emission variations indicate the structure optimization and transformations of power plants is paramount importance to further curb or reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector. Plain Language Summary: The power sector is the top CO2 emitter and accounts for 37% of global anthropogenic emissions, which has great significance for climate change. Our combined database shows that the capacity of global fossil‐fuel‐ and biomass‐fired power plants experienced a substantial increase, mainly driven by the growing demand of power generation during the past three decades. In contrast to 133.3% increase of power capacity, global CO2 emissions of power plants increased by 85.3% during the period 1990–2019, and the disproportionately low increase of emissions benefited from the upgrade of coal‐fired power units and the large‐scale expansion of non‐coal‐fired ones with low/zero carbon intensity. Specifically, global power plant fleet turnover improved the power generation efficiency and optimized the fuel mix by constructing large and technologically advanced power units, slowing the growth rate of global CO2 emissions in 1990–2019. Moreover, changes in the critical role of fossil fuel power were associated with regional economic growth, environmental policy and technological advances, indicating that the expansion of non‐fossil‐fuels will likely represent an increasing factor in driving future CO2 emission reductions from the power sector. Key Points: Global CO2 emissions from the power sector increased from 7.5 Gt in 1990 to 13.9 Gt in 2019, mainly driven by the growth of demandThe efficiency improvements and the non‐coal power development carry positive effects on decreasing CO2 emissions in the developed regionsThe power shift from fossil fuels to non‐fossil fuels plays an increasingly critical role on curbing CO2 emissions in developing regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract The past three decades have witnessed the dramatic expansion of global biomass‐ and fossil fuel‐fired power plants, but the tremendously diverse power infrastructure shapes different spatial and temporal CO2 emission characteristics. Here, by combining Global Power plant Emissions Database (GPED v1.1) constructed in this study and the previously developed China coal‐fired power Plant Emissions Database (CPED), we analyzed multi‐scale changes and underlying drivers from the globe to the unit in generating capacities, age structure, and CO2 emissions over the past 30 yr. Our estimates show global CO2 emissions from the power sector increased from 7.5 Gt in 1990 to 13.9 Gt in 2019, and the growth of power demand meeting by large and young units mainly drives this increase for all stages. However, regional drivers were broadly different from those affecting global trends. For example, the critical roles of thermal efficiency improvement (accounting for 20% of the decrease in CO2 emissions) by eliminating small and low‐efficient coal‐fired units and fossil fuel mix (61%) by developing natural‐gas‐ and oil‐fired units were identified in preventing CO2 emission increases in the developed regions. By contrast, the decrease of fossil fuel share by speeding up the expansion of renewable power gradually demonstrates its importance in curbing emissions in the most of regions, especially including the developing economies (i.e., China and India) after 2010. Our multi‐scale results of 30 yr emission variations indicate the structure optimization and transformations of power plants is paramount importance to further curb or reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector.

Transitioning to low-carbon coal power plants is critical in addressing climate change, given the significant contribution of coal-fired power generation to global CO 2 emissions. Our understanding of the low-carbon transition in the coal power sector has significantly advanced in recent decades. However, the sector's transition remains contentious due to methodological disparities, inconsistent datasets, and varying assumptions across existing studies, which pose challenges for predicting future research trajectories and actions. To address this issue, we developed a Document-based Information Mining and Statistical Analysis Method, conducting a comprehensive review, bibliometric analysis, and comparative study of 1905 journal articles and 14 databases sourced from international authorities. Our quantitative analysis reveals a notable upswing in publications and international collaborative efforts in coal power transition research, with average growth rates of 8.6%, 9.3%, and 3.7% for authors, countries, and institutions, respectively. These studies depict diverse transition trajectories, projecting global and Chinese coal power capacities ranging from 58-927 GW and 0-395 GW in 2050, driven by six key uncertainties such as carbon budgets and energy demand variations, and advancements in CCUS and renewable technologies. We categorized 44 major coal-dependent countries into three groups based on their engagement with coal power transition research, identified three potential transition patterns aligned with temperature control goals, and outlined four distinct research stages in the evolution of coal power transition. Drawing from these insights, we conclude with valuable perspectives on the expansion of international collaboration, reduction of transition uncertainty, focus for future research, and mitigation of transition risks. • Develop a Document-based Information Mining and Statistical Analysis Method. • Quantitatively reveal the laws and trends in coal power transition research. • Identify three prospective transition patterns aligned with temperature control goals. • Deliver valuable insights into future focus areas and research paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of coal power in maintaining the security of the national power supply and the stability of the grid is irreplaceable for China at present, as was reflected in the "power shortage" event of 2021. To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the low-carbon transition paths of coal power for each province were analyzed in the context of China's emission trading scheme (ETS). The prospect and importance of coal power was preliminarily analyzed first. Following the "bottom-up" direction, the real option method was used to establish decision models for investing in carbon capture, utilization and storage equipment (CCUS) and eliminating high carbon-intensive units. Results showed that Inner Mongolia will first adopt CCUS in 2037 and the thresholds can be met in all provinces before 2050. However, the ETS will not lead to the elimination of coal power during the studied period. Combined with an evaluation of the development potential of coal power, four transition paths were distinguished for Chinese provinces. Considering that China's ETS is in the developing stage, its full potential for stimulating the low-carbon transition of coal power was further discussed. On this basis, several policy implications were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China aims to curb "peak carbon dioxide emission" by 2030 and achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2060, which are undoubtedly ambitions and challenging objectives. An important way to achieve this goal is to substitute coal power plants (CPPs) with renewable energy power plants (REPPs). In this context, this study establishes a government-CPPs-REPPs evolutionary game framework combined with the Hotelling model to uncover the dynamics and uncertainties in substitution. The results are as follows: (i) the substitution goes through three stages with significant heterogeneity: the initial, intermediate, and mature stages. The strategy profiles in the mature stage are an ideal choice, and it is essential to strengthen the willingness of power plants to adopt carbon capture and storage (CCS) and energy storage technology. (ii) The electricity market share evolves with the changing strategies mix, and the competition shows a variation state of "inefficient–Prisoner's dilemma–Pareto optimality" in three stages. Additionally, renewable energy is the main power source at the mature stage. (iii) Furthermore, it is necessary to decrease the adoption cost of energy storage and CCS technology and maintain a reasonable subsidy phase-out level. Finally, effective policies of the feed-in tariff and carbon market tend to facilitate CCS retrofitting and energy storage system deployment. •Substituting coal power with renewable energy resources for energy transformation. •The substitution will go through three stages with significant heterogeneity. •CCS retrofitting and energy storage system deployment is essential to the substitution. •The electricity market evolves with the changing strategies mix of power plants. •Some key uncertainties have significant influences on the substitution evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of an onshore wind farm in India. The study is conducted on 10 Vestas 1.65 MW wind turbines situated in the Karnataka state of India. Following the ISO 14044 standard, SimaPro LCA software is used to model the process. The functional unit is chosen as 1 MWh sent out electricity. The results of the life cycle-based emissions of wind farm are compared with those of the coal power plant. The global warming potential is found to be 11.3 g CO2-eq/MWh for wind power, which is 98.8% lower than that for the coal power plant. A comparison of data available in SimaPro LCA software was carried out with data in GaBi software. There is a small difference between the two databases. This may be due to different boundary and inclusion of input items. Steel, aluminium, and concrete contributed 86%, 84%, 84% and 85% of total CO2, NOx, SO2 and PM2.5 emissions, respectively. Recycling the materials of a wind turbine at the end of its life can reduce the environmental impact. Higher capacity factors can increase the electricity generation with reduced environmental impact. A 22% increase in capacity factor can reduce environmental impact by 19%. In addition, the increase in the life of wind turbines reduces the environmental impact, as a wind turbine only has a few moving parts and requires minimum regular maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of coal mining and transportation, it is inevitable to produce a large number of coal powder, which has many adverse effects, causing pneumoconiosis and even explosion, bringing huge hidden dangers to the safety of people's lives and property. In order to reduce the occurrence of this kind of engineering disaster, surfactant is often used for wetting and dust reduction. In this study, the coal powder of the left 2 working face at No.65 layer in Xinxing Coal Mine is taken as the object, and four kinds of surfactants are used to study the osmotic effect. The comparative analysis is carried out from the penetration forms, the change of contact angle, and the unit cost. The method of selecting reagents under different engineering conditions and requirements is obtained, which provides an effective way for reduction of coal powder in coal mine, and has a certain reference value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial institutions around the world have announced halts to financing of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). Non-profit and non-governmental organisations have financing, developed databases and reports that provide information on financial data and CFPP projects, as well as the quality of the coal policies of financial institutions. In this study, we integrated information from these databases and analysed the financing implications for CFPP development. We selected the world's 56 largest commercial banks and reviewed and mapped their coal policies according to four common financing conditions. We also analysed bank contributions via project and corporate finance, selecting Indonesia as a country-specific case study to examine how and to what extent banks have been supporting the coal industry. Our analysis revealed that banks have been financing the CFPP industry more substantially through corporate finance than project finance. Consequently, we suggest that the most effective financing policies consist of a combination of exclusion criteria that transparently address project and corporate financing and enhance bank positions by setting a coal phase-out target. Besides, more banks are offering sustainable finance, in which the budget committed to sustainability is larger than the amount historically financed for fossil fuels. Our findings conclude that commercial banks can potentially influence development of the coal power sector, even in a country like Indonesia where it is highly supported by public finance.

Construction of new coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) continues around the world, jeopardizing efforts to mitigate climate change. In 2020, some 500 GW of projects are under construction or being planned, mostly in developing countries. Because of high costs and technological hurdles, construction in developing countries is largely assisted by public finance from richer nations. Troublingly, in recent years, financing has provided more support to coal-fired electricity than to renewables. An important question thus arises: What factors drive the flow of international financing toward coal or renewables? Prior research has not tackled this question systematically with quantitative methods and a large sample of countries. This study thus examines 23 countries receiving international financing from government-affiliated bilateral institutions for both coal and renewables. We use a novel "coincidence analysis" method to systematically identify the factors that explain why some countries received more investment for CFPPs than renewables. Two combinations of influencing factors are identified: countries with: (i) a bilateral agreement to promote coal industry development, and weak or absent carbon pricing; or (ii) weak policy support for renewable energy, and weak or absent carbon pricing. We explore the influence of these factors in four countries—Indonesia, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Vietnam—to deepen understanding of why some countries receive higher investment for coal than renewables. This analysis leads to important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal combustion for power generation made up 30% of global CO2 emissions in 2018. To achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global average temperatures below 2°C, power generation must be decarbonized globally by mid‐century. This requires a rapid phase‐out of coal‐fired power generation. However, global coal power expansion continues, mostly in developing countries where electricity demand continues to increase. Since the early 2010s, Southeast Asia's coal power capacity expansion has been among the fastest in the world, following China and India, but its implications for the global climate and regional energy transition remain understudied. Here we examine Southeast Asia's power generation pipeline as of mid‐2020 and evaluate its implications for the region's CO2 emissions over the plant lifetime as well as projected electricity generation between 2020‐2030 in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We find that power plants under construction and planned in Southeast Asia as of 2020 will more than double the region's fossil fuel power generation capacity. If all fossil fuel plants under development are built, Southeast Asia's power sector CO2 emissions will increase by 72% from 2020 to 2030 and long‐term committed emissions will double. Moreover, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, projected electricity generation from fossil fuel plants under development, combined with generation from renewable capacity targets and existing power capacity, will exceed future national electricity demand. As a result, fossil fuel plants will likely be underutilized and/or become stranded assets while also potentially crowding out renewable energy deployment. Plain Language Summary: Fossil fuel power plants lock in CO2 emissions for their multi decades‐long lifetime and interfere with global decarbonization efforts to address climate change. To avoid catastrophic climate change, the world must phase out fossil fuel power plants and transition to a low carbon energy system rapidly. However, Southeast Asia's fossil fuel generation capacity continues to expand. To understand the implications of this fossil fuel fleet expansion for the global climate and regional electricity supply, we analyze the long‐term committed CO2 emissions from operating, under‐construction, and planned fossil fuel plants in the region as well as projected electricity generation in three countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We find that the expanding fossil fuel power fleet in Southeast Asia will double the region's power sector CO2 emissions. Furthermore, it will likely cause an "oversupply" of electricity, which will either result in financial losses and/or will crowd out renewable energy deployment. Power sector planning in Southeast Asia must recognize these risks and ensure a timely transition to low carbon energy. Key Points: Power plants under development in Southeast Asia will double the region's fossil fuel capacity and its committed power sector CO2 emissionsPower supply projections from 2020 to 2030 for fossil fuel plants in Indonesia and the Philippines greatly exceed projected demandCoal and gas plants in Indonesia and the Philippines will likely become stranded assets and/or will crowd out renewable deployment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-based separation technologies have the potential to lower the cost of post-combustion CO2 capture from power-plant flue gases through reduced energy and capital costs relative to conventional solvent approaches. Studies have shown promise under controlled conditions, but there is a need for data on performance and reliability under field conditions. Coal-fired power plants in China operate in a dynamic manner, with increases and decreases in output causing changes in flue-gas composition. In this paper, we describe the first field test of a membrane-based post-combustion CO2-capture system connected to a dynamically operating power plant in China. We report the performance of a Membrane Technology Research, Inc. (MTR) PolarisTM membrane-based capture system over a range of plant operating loads ranging from 54% to 84% and conducted an operational stability test over a 168-h period during which the power plant was operating at an average load of 55%, but ramped as high as 79% and as low as 55%. Our results confirm the ability of a membrane capture system to operate effectively over a wide range of host-plant operating conditions, but also identity several issues related to plant integration, system control and resilience in the face of host-plant upsets that require attention as membrane separation systems move towards commercial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coal combustion for power generation made up 30% of global CO2 emissions in 2018. To achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global average temperatures below 2°C, power generation must be decarbonized globally by mid‐century. This requires a rapid phase‐out of coal‐fired power generation. However, global coal power expansion continues, mostly in developing countries where electricity demand continues to increase. Since the early 2010s, Southeast Asia's coal power capacity expansion has been among the fastest in the world, following China and India, but its implications for the global climate and regional energy transition remain understudied. Here we examine Southeast Asia's power generation pipeline as of mid‐2020 and evaluate its implications for the region's CO2 emissions over the plant lifetime as well as projected electricity generation between 2020‐2030 in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We find that power plants under construction and planned in Southeast Asia as of 2020 will more than double the region's fossil fuel power generation capacity. If all fossil fuel plants under development are built, Southeast Asia's power sector CO2 emissions will increase by 72% from 2020 to 2030 and long‐term committed emissions will double. Moreover, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, projected electricity generation from fossil fuel plants under development, combined with generation from renewable capacity targets and existing power capacity, will exceed future national electricity demand. As a result, fossil fuel plants will likely be underutilized and/or become stranded assets while also potentially crowding out renewable energy deployment.

To avoid dangerous climate change, the global community has committed to phasing down coal at COP26 in Glasgow. Since policies and pledges currently implemented in the power sector are not sufficient to meet mitigation targets, countries are expected to increase their ambition over time within the UNFCCC process. Furthermore, some countries are bilaterally negotiating support packages to speed up the phase-out of coal through ‘Just Energy Transition Partnerships’. Yet, to assess those ratcheting up efforts an understanding of the current baseline is pivotal. Here, we quantify the probability that currently planned coal plants will be built, based on an in-depth expert elicitation consisting of interviews with 29 experts from ten countries. We analyze the most important factors influencing the realization of the coal pipeline, isolate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and compare the experts’ forecasts with mitigation pathways scenarios. We find that globally 170 GW–270 GW of new coal-fired power plants are likely to be built in the upcoming years. Future negotiations for joint partnerships can use the results of this elicitation as a baseline to determine ambitious coal phase-out plans.

In the near future, due to the growing share of variable renewable energy in the electricity mix and the lack of large-scale electricity storage, coal plants will have to shift their role from base-load operation to providing fluctuating back-up power. However, current coal power plants, based on steam Rankine cycle, are not optimized for flexible part-load operation, resulting in an intrinsic inadequacy for fast load variations. The founding idea of the H2020 sCO2-Flex project is to improve the flexibility of pulverized coal power plants by adopting supercritical CO2 Brayton power cycles. Despite the extensive literature about the design of sCO2 plants, there is still limited discussion about the strategies to be implemented to maximize system efficiency during part-load operation. This paper aims to provide deeper insight about the potential of sCO2 power plants based on recompressed cycle with high-temperature recuperator (HTR) bypass configuration for small modular coal power plants (25 MWel). Analysis focuses on both design and part-load operation providing a preliminary sizing of each component and comparing different operating strategies. Results demonstrate that sCO2 coal power plants can achieve competitive efficiency in both nominal and part-load operation thanks to the progressive increase of heat exchangers effectiveness. Moreover, they can be operated down to 20% electric load increasing power range of coal plants. Finally, the possibility to optimize the cycle minimum pressure ensures a safe operation of the compressor far from the surge line and to increase the performance at low load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affected by user demand and policy, the technological innovation speed and economic efficiency of different power technologies will change internally. By setting different policy scenarios, based on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model, the paper comprehensively compared the impact of different policy portfolios and policy input intensity on the economics and stage of power technologies, and the market competitiveness evolution of coal power and renewable energy power is mainly analyzed. After 2020, with the increase in coal fuel prices and the acceleration of nuclear power technology learning, the LCOE of coal power has shown an upward trend, while the LCOE of nuclear power has shown the declining year by year. With the positive effects of technological innovation and diffusion, the LCOE of solar photovoltaic power (PV), and centralized solar power (CSP) technologies has also shown a downward trend year by year. In Scenario 1, continuing the existing energy policies, the LCOE of wind power, solar PV and CSP was significantly lower than coal power in 2040. In Scenario 2, implementing low-level coal resource tax, environmental tax, carbon tax and PV price subsidy, the LCOE of wind power and solar PV power was lower than coal power in 2030, and the LCOE of CSP was lower than coal power in 2040. In Scenario 3, implementing more rigorous energy policies, with the obvious economic advantages, the alternative of new energy power sources such as wind power and solar PV power is stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Central and Eastern European countries, coal-based energy still forms the foundation of energy security. Non-organic sources are very slowly being replaced by renewable energy sources (RES). Basing a country's economy on energy that works in harmony with ecological principles is a long-term process. Due to the necessity of satisfying the needs of the present generations in a way that will not reduce the chances of future generations to live comfortably, it is necessary to take into account the impact of the effects of energy production on the environment. Renewable energy is beneficial not only for the environment of a given country, but also for the entire region. Poland's long and difficult path from coal-based to low-emission power generation has had many effects, primarily environmental, social and financial. The study analyses the often neglected issue of the impact of shifting from coal-based to renewable energy on the functioning of individuals, society and public law associations, including municipalities. The analysis of the issue from the communes' perspective is important and interesting as the commune can act in many roles in the field of RES-as a "consumer" of energy, as an energy regulator, as an investor, as a producer and as an organizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of ambitious investments by the Chinese government in renewable energy sources, the country's investment in coal power accelerated in recent years, raising concerns of massive overcapacity and undermining the central policy goal of promoting cleaner energy. In this paper, we ask why this happened, focusing on policies that incentivized excessive entry in the coal power sector and using a simple economic model to illustrate the policies' effects. Using coal-power project approval records from 2013 to 2016, we find the approval rate of coal power was about 3 times higher after approval authority was decentralized, with larger effects in regions producing more coal. We estimate that local coal production accounts for an additional 54GW of approved coal power in 2015 (other things equal), which is about 1/4 of total approved capacity in that year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the growing international pressure to mitigate climate change and increasing fears around climate impacts, current expectations of continued investment in fossil fuels in Southeast Asia's power sector appear puzzling. This paper explores how power sector investors perceive climate-related risks and how they factor these risks into investment decision-making. In doing so, we seek to explain why countries in Southeast Asia are making plans for – and investors are continuing to invest in – predominantly fossil fuel-based power generation at the expense of renewable or clean generation options, and what it would take to substantially shift investment from fossil fuel-based generation into renewable options in the region. Analysis of 17 interviews with industry experts suggests that there is a significant gap between the need to integrate climate-related risks within investor decision-making, and the way these risks are currently being integrated and addressed in the Southeast Asia power sector. Climate-related risk appears to be either not a significant factor, ignored in light of other concerns, or only superficially integrated into decision-making. The results of this research point to an urgent need for action targeted at energy-sector investors in the region in order to shed light on climate-related risks, share information on the likelihood and magnitude of risks, lay out clearly the potential for stranded assets in a 10–15-year time frame, and encourage transparent, open and respectful dialogue and discussion on these critical issues. Key policy insights Power sector investors in Southeast Asia generally do not consider climate-related risks as a significant factor when making investment decisions. Dominance of established routines and mindsets lead to omission of in-depth analysis of climate-related risks and skewed perceptions of risk in renewable energy investments. Pressure to commit large sums through recognized investment channels creates path dependency towards continued financing of large-scale fossil fuel projects. Financial governance mechanisms generally have very low compliance requirements regarding reporting on and mitigating climate-related risks. Policy and regulatory action is needed to raise awareness of climate-related risks, lay out potential for stranded assets and create opportunities for investing in renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new round of reforms in power system gradually liberalizes the wholesale market for power generation, but the current average dispatch model does not support the new market system. We use Guangdong Province as a case study to analyze the cost of new entry (CONE) and net revenue of new and old coal power plants. We find that the real CONE of low-efficiency plants that were put into production earlier is significantly lower than that of the new high-efficiency plants. Meanwhile, the fact that net revenues are higher for low-efficiency plants than high-efficiency plants has led to distortion in the incentives aimed at retiring old low-efficiency plants from the market, and new investment is economically justified under existing market rules. By simulating a market system, we find that the "scarce returns" of peak plants are depressed because of excessive capacity, which leads to losses from all coal power plants. Accelerating market reforms, including reshaping the market mechanism of short-term operations and long-term investment decision-making is key to the successful implementation of supply-side reform policies. They are important for ensuring both economic operations in the short-run wholesale market and the long-term sufficiency of the power supply via careful regulatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, David Paul Nord investigates the multi-faceted revolution of the flour-milling industry during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in America, centering general trends in Indiana and across the Midwest. His approach highlights what he identifies as the six key elements to understanding the flour milling revolution more fully—these include power, transport, agriculture, process, machinery, and marketing. Focusing on the success and expansion of small-to-medium-sized mills, Nord underscores the role of manufacturers of flour milling equipment during this innovative era; he also explores the dramatic growth in the production of high-tech milling machinery and the development of machine manufacturers into the role of full-service mill furnishers. The article concludes by considering how the transformational changes of the flour-milling revolution during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have had lasting, even permanent effects on the industry, and hints that another revolution may yet be on the horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's coal‐fired power industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. From a historical perspective, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the coal power sector in China, to understand the cause of the transition and where its future lies. Through the interactions among landscape, regime and niches, China's coal‐fired power industry has developed cleaner and more efficient, which positively mitigated the local pollution. Yet the decarbonization in the power sector is unsatisfactory. Due to its dominating role and nature of high‐carbon emitting, the coal power sector has always been a big challenge during China's climate actions. Although the goal of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 demonstrates China's ambitions, expanding coal‐fired power generation capacity hinders climate change mitigation and low‐carbon transition. In this regard, we discuss the guidelines for the future high‐quality coal‐fired power development to provide recommendations for policy‐makers and industry stakeholders. China's coal power sector should commit to the vision of deep decarbonization by 2050. This article is categorized under:Energy and Climate > Economics and PolicyFossil Fuels > Climate and EnvironmentEnergy Policy and Planning > Climate and Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring that electricity systems maintain reliable power supplies is critical to sustaining political support for the low-carbon energy transition. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the recent electricity disruptions in China and evaluate the government's response. Since 2020, China has faced three unprecedented power outage affecting multiple provinces for weeks. This study investigates the interplay of various factors contributing to China's power crisis and examines the government's policies aimed at addressing immediate issues while advancing broader reforms. Key policy measures involve adjusting the electricity market to allow greater price fluctuations for coal-fired electricity and opening the wholesale market to industrial and commercial users. While this reform is expected to boost market competitiveness, the present market structure falls short of what is likely needed to ensure that power sector dispatch, pricing, and investment can work together to ensure reliable electricity supply in the context of China's transition towards carbon neutrality. To create an advanced, resilient, and flexible renewable energy grid, more intricate reforms across the electricity system, market, regulatory framework, and institutions will be essential. [Display omitted] • Power reliability is critical to keeping political support for energy transition. • A combination of factors led to power curtailments in China in recent times. • Policy responses to address China's power crisis are examined. • Implications of these policy changes are assessed. • An integrated solution framework is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nuclear Safety is the property of Nuclear & Radiation Safety Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article conducts the first provincial case study on the effect of environment-related risks on coal-fired power plants in Jilin, China, which creates "stranded assets". Using power capacity expansion model and project evaluation model, the article first quantifies the rational coal power capacity during 2016–2020. Then, we calculate the value of stranded assets. The estimated scale of excess coal power capacity by 2020 ranges from 8,190 MW to 18,480 MW. The total value of stranded assets will decline over time under the different scenarios. Finally, policy implications for policymakers on power market reforms are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass power in China is usually regarded as less economically competitive than coal power, partially because the external costs of power generation technologies' effects on human health and the environment are always neglected. To understand the real economic performance of biomass- and coal-fired power in China, a hybrid life cycle inventory modeling approach was developed to estimate the fuel-to-electricity environmental emissions and complete (direct and external) economic costs of the two fuel options. The results show that the direct economic cost of biomass power is 0.44 Chinese yuan (CNY) per kilowatt-hour, about 25%–37% higher than that of coal power. However, because of the significant emissions of greenhouse gas and PM 2.5 pollutants during power generation, the external cost of coal-fired power is estimated at 0.17 CNY/kWh on average, substantially higher than that of biomass power (0.06 CNY/kWh). Thus, the economic situations of biomass power reverse when environmental externalities are considered. Specially, wood residue–fired electricity has the lowest complete economic cost (0.48 CNY/kWh), approximately 2%–14% less than that of coal power. Therefore, a reasonable and comprehensive cost accounting mechanism is crucial for the development of the biomass power sector in China. Additionally, win–win policies could be developed to improve the environmental and economic performance of the country's power generation industry. • Environmental externalities were quantified for biomass and coal power generation. • Biomass power has poor economic performance but robust environmental benefits. • Wood wastes power has the lowest complete economic cost among all technologies. • A sound cost accounting mechanism must incorporate environmental externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP) 24 where countries will first take stock of climate action post Paris, this paper assesses India's progress on its nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets and future energy plans. We find that, although India is well on track to meet its NDC pledges, these targets were extremely modest given previous context. Furthermore, there is considerable uncertainty around India's energy policy post 2030 and if current plans for energy futures materialise, the Paris Agreement's 2 degrees goal will be almost certainly unachievable. India's role in international climate politics has shifted from obstructionism to leadership particularly following the announcement of withdrawal by the United States from the Paris Agreement, but analysis reveals that India's 'hard' actions on the domestic front are inconsistent with its 'soft' actions in the international climate policy arena. Going forward, India is likely to face increasing calls for stronger mitigation action and we suggest that this gap can be bridged by strengthening the links between India's foreign policy ambitions, international climate commitments, and domestic energy realities. Key policy insights India's NDC pledges on carbon intensity and share of non-fossil fuel capacity are relatively modest given domestic context and offer plenty of room to increase ambition of action. India's 'soft' leadership in global climate policy can be matched by 'hard' commitments by bringing NDC pledges in line with domestic policy realities. There is significant uncertainty around future plans for coal power in India which have the potential to exceed the remaining global carbon budget for 2 degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainable energy supply and carbon neutral, it is essential to enhance the efficiency and reduce carbon emissions for coal power. In this study, a coal power generation system based on supercritical water gasification (SCWG) with full CO 2 capture is proposed. The system achieves autothermal gasification by partial oxidation of coal in the SCWG gasifier. Gasification water is preheated by turbine exhaust, and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is integrated to recover the waste heat of turbine exhaust. Simulation and thermodynamic analysis models of the system are developed. Results show the energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of system with benchmark parameters reach 52.95 % and 54.11 %, respectively. The largest exergy destruction occurs in gasifier and accounts for 41.36 % of the total exergy loss. Irreversibility of heat transfer mainly occurs in water heat exchanger and ORC, accounting for 4.81 % and 5.59 % of the total loss. Effects of key operating parameters on the system performance are investigated. Results show the optimal turbine exhaust pressure is 0.1 MPa, and higher turbine inlet temperature can enhance the system efficiency. System with reheat configuration shows potential in thermodynamic and economic aspects, and the exergy efficiency of double reheat system is improved from 37.25 % to 45.08 %. • Novel coal power generation system with supercritical water gasification is proposed. • System simulation, thermodynamic and economic analysis models are developed. • Exergy efficiency of the proposed system achieves 54.11 % with full CO 2 capture. • Effects of key operating parameters on the system performance are investigated. • SCWG system with reheat shows potential in thermodynamic and economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the economic and statistical analysis of industries associated with the use of renewable energy sources in several countries. The dynamic development and implementation of technologies based on renewable energy sources (hereinafter RES) is the defining trend of world energy development. The uneven distribution of hydrocarbon reserves, increasing demand of developing countries and environmental risks associated with the production and consumption of fossil resources has led to an increasing interest of many states to this field. Creating low-carbon economies involves the implementation of plans to increase the proportion of clean energy through renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The priority of this sector is a characteristic feature of modern development of developed (USA, EU, Japan) and emerging economies (China, India, Brazil, etc.), as evidenced by the inclusion of the development of this segment in the state energy strategies and the revision of existing approaches to energy security. The analysis of the use of renewable energy, its contribution to value added of countries-producers is of a particular interest. Over the last decade, the share of energy produced from renewable sources in the energy balances of the world's largest economies increased significantly. Every year the number of power generating capacity based on renewable energy is growing, especially, this trend is apparent in China, USA and European Union countries. There is a significant increase in direct investment in renewable energy. The total investment over the past ten years increased by 5.6 times. The most rapidly developing kinds are solar energy and wind power.

The article focuses on the economic and statistical analysis of industries associated with the use of renewable energy sources in several countries. The dynamic development and implementation of technologies based on renewable energy sources (hereinafter RES) is the defining trend of world energy development. The uneven distribution of hydrocarbon reserves, increasing demand of developing countries and environmental risks associated with the production and consumption of fossil resources has led to an increasing interest of many states to this field. Creating low-carbon economies involves the implementation of plans to increase the proportion of clean energy through renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The priority of this sector is a characteristic feature of modern development of developed (USA, EU, Japan) and emerging economies (China, India, Brazil, etc.), as evidenced by the inclusion of the development of this segment in the state energy strategies and the revision of existing approaches to energy security. The analysis of the use of renewable energy, its contribution to value added of countries-producers is of a particular interest. Over the last decade, the share of energy produced from renewable sources in the energy balances of the world's largest economies increased significantly. Every year the number of power generating capacity based on renewable energy is growing, especially, this trend is apparent in China, USA and European Union countries. There is a significant increase in direct investment in renewable energy. The total investment over the past ten years increased by 5.6 times. The most rapidly developing kinds are solar energy and wind power.

Since the project approval right was decentralized from the central government to the local governments in 2014 in China, a large quantity of coal power projects has been approved and built, resulting in low operation efficiency and calling for strict de-capacity policy. In this paper, we estimate coal power overcapacity with a cross-province power and energy balance model. We estimate the overcapacity situation in 2015 at 140–160 GW with a comprehensive dataset. The 2020 overcapacity scenario is estimated with detailed representation of official planning and new projects under construction. The results show that there is a general trend of growing overcapacity in most provinces by 2020 and the national excess scale will be around 210 GW under the basic scenario and may even reach 240–260 GW under a High scenario. Relevant policy suggestions are put forward to address the overcapacity issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses resident attitudes and visual and auditory impacts from nearby electricity generation. Unlike most prior studies, questions allowing bidirectional answers are used, allowing positive or negative responses, and matched questions are applied in paired communities, one community proximate to utility-scale wind generation and the second proximate to fossil generation. At least a few individuals had negative attitudes and reported negative visual and auditory impact regardless of which type of generation-but residents near the wind turbine predominately had positive attitudes toward the facility, and reported more positive than negative visual and auditory impacts. Conversely, residents near coal generation reported substantially more negative attitudes, visual impacts, and auditory impacts from the coal plant. When asked about willingness-to-pay to keep or remove the nearby facility, residents near the wind turbine would, on average, say they would pay $2.56 a month to keep it in place, whereas residents near the coal plant were, on average, willing to pay $1.82 a month to remove that facility. Demographics did not have significant effect on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]