Abstract
Coal-fired generation has historically provided 70 percent or more of the baseload generation capacity in the eastern U.S. [Ventyx, 2012] and due to new environmental regulations combined with stable low cost natural gas, this percentage will likely decrease. New source performance standards (NSPS) proposed by the EPA [EPA, 2011] for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation put the electric power industry on a course that gradually eliminates coal generation from being a major source of electric power. With electricity being a fundamental service to all economic sectors, such a transition could potentially increase the cost of electricity to levels detrimental to U.S. economic growth. Transitioning away from coal to other fuels for electric power involves additional costs and key capabilities historically provided by coal generation. Three characteristics of coal-fired electric power are its baseload operating characteristics, the ability of it to provide system stability through generator response and turbine inertia, and the additional reliability assurance provided by on-site fuel supply. This paper provides an overview of these characteristics to heighten the awareness of the strengths provided by coal generation that have contributed to highly reliable and low cost electric power systems in the U.S.
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