The Future of the Power Industry
Williamson’s refrain (picked up by others) was that we "need to promote the future rather than punish the past." (In later iterations of this sound bite, he called for not punishing the present.) Though he never specified what lawmakers might want to punish, it seemed clear that he hoped Washington would assist utilities and other power generators in meeting whatever new climate change regulations are ahead rather than making fossil fuel – burning generators and their customers bear the brunt of the impact. (Dynegy’s fleet is powered by gas, coal, and oil.)
There’s "no quick fix for the industry," he said, because "it’s taken 100 years to get the infrastructure we have now." Renewables will increase, but change isn’t going to happen overnight. Hitting the education theme again, he emphasized that the industry needs the public and Washington to understand that "we need it all." Furthermore, because "development is pretty much at a standstill," existing plants of all types will have to "run hard" in the future.
Morris alluded to the potential danger of ceasing construction of new baseload capacity with a reference to the devastating effect that running out of power (in January 2008) had on South Africa’s economy when it had to shut down industry and commerce.
Although each executive mentioned something his company is doing to address climate change concerns, those Gallagher mentioned had the largest numbers attached: a thin-film photovoltaic plant in Boulder City, Nev., that could become the largest in the world and a wind project in Baja, Calif., that could reach 300 MW. Clearly, Sempra (mainly a gas-fired generator, with most of its 2,600 MW located outside California) is affected by California’s aggressive renewables goals.
To Peltier’s question, "What’s the next plant your company is bring on?" the executives answered:
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Morris: the 600-MW ultrasupercritical coal-fired Turk Power Plant in Arkansas (the first plant of this type to be built in the U.S.). (See page 34 for more information on this plant.)
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Williamson: a solar pilot plant next to an existing gas plant.
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Litzinger: a wind plant.
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Crane: 400 MW of additional nuclear capacity via turbine changeouts and efficiencies.
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Gallagher: additions to the Boulder City solar plant.
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