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This weekend’s question may have no good answer. On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced plans to auction off 758 million tons of coal in Wyoming over the next few months. Then on Friday, the Bureau of Land Management explained they will be selling off another 1.6 billion tons of coal at a future date. Salazar claims coal could play a role in the “clean energy future,” but that isn’t true, of course — except in an alternative universe where CO2 has a high and rising price and carbon capture and storage pans out — neither of which seems likely even if Obama weren’t now indifferent to serious climate action (see Harvard: “Realistic” first-generation CCS costs a whopping $150 per ton of CO2 — 20 cents per kWh! and Studyfind leaks from CO2 stored deep underground could contaminate drinking water ). The coal represents a staggering amount of future CO2 emissions, as Wild Earth Guardians , Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife explain: When burned, the coal threatens to release more than 3.9 billion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions from 300 coal-fired power plants, further cementing the United States as a leading contributor to climate disruption … Salazar’s announcement is a stark contrast to his call for clean energy. Interior, for example, touted that in 2010, 4,000 megawatts of renewable energy development were authorized. And in today’s press conference, Secretary Salazar announced Interior’s intent to authorize more than 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy by the end of next year … Yet in opening the door for 2.35 billion tons of coal mining, Salazar’s announcement effectively enables more than 300,000 megawatts of coal-fired energy — 30 times more dirty energy development than renewable energy. Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from coal combustion lasts a long, long, long time (see Fossil CO2 impacts will outlast Stonehenge and nuclear waste ). And that’s a major reason unrestricted burning of coal is just bad for humans (see Life-cycle study: Accounting for total harm from coal would add “close to 17.8¢/kWh of electricity generated” and A stunning year in climate science reveals that human civilization is on the precipice ). So this decision just makes no sense, though Grist offers one explanation for cynics: Obama administration can’t wait to sell China all the coal it can burn
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Why are Obama and Salazar pushing a massive expansion of coal production?
Power and automation technology group ABB has been selected by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) to deliver an ultrahigh-voltage transmission system worth about $900 million. The link will supply hydropower from northeastern India to the city of Agra over a distance of 1,728 kilometres. ABB will execute the North-East Agra transmission project together with BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited), an Indian government-owned power company that will deliver the remainder of the project worth more than $1.1 billion in total. The order will be booked on completion of financing requirements. The ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) link operating at 800 kilovolts (kV) will have a converter capacity of 8,000 megawatts (MW), the highest ever built. When operating at full capacity, the link will be able to supply enough electricity to serve 90 million people based on average national consumption.
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ABB helps bring ultrahigh-voltage system to India
Power and automation technology group ABB has been selected by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) to deliver an ultrahigh-voltage transmission system worth about $900 million. The link will supply hydropower from northeastern India to the city of Agra over a distance of 1,728 kilometres. ABB will execute the North-East Agra transmission project together with BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited), an Indian government-owned power company that will deliver the remainder of the project worth more than $1.1 billion in total. The order will be booked on completion of financing requirements. The ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) link operating at 800 kilovolts (kV) will have a converter capacity of 8,000 megawatts (MW), the highest ever built.
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ABB helps bring ultrahigh-voltage system to India
CC Flickr photo courtesy of sabotrax. Hand dryers versus paper towels.
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Hand Dryers versus Paper Towels
Smart-grid platform provider Silver Spring Networks has announced that Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) will deploy Silver Spring’s smart-grid solutions. The agreement follows the deployment of Silver Spring’s field-proven, IP-based Smart Energy Platform at two of American Electric Power’s other operating companies, AEP Ohio and Indiana Michigan Power through AEP’s gridSMART initiative. PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles
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Silver Spring to provide smart grid for Oklahoma utility