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Monday, March 22, 2010 | 2:30 p.m.
Sun Coverage
The developer of a planned coal fired power plant in Mesquite has announced it is formally withdrawing its application with the Bureau of Land Management and is reverting to an earlier plan for a natural gas fired power plant on the site.
Sithe Global is now planning to build a 700 megawatt natural gas fired power plant, called the Toquop Energy Project, near Mesquite. The plans for the natural gas plant were approved by the BLM in 2003. The company is planning to amend the original natural gas plant plans to incorporate up to 100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power at the site. That will require a new BLM evaluation of the project.
The Toquop power plant project is expected to break ground next year and will employ about 1,000 workers during the three-year construction phase.
The solar plant should be operational by 2012 and the natural gas plant is expected to be completed in 2015.
Sen. Harry Reid, who has encouraged the company to switch to natural gas with for the past year, said this move will be a cleaner option for Nevada.
Natural gas plants release about 60 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than coal plants, Reid said. He also said the switch from American coal to American natural gas will help free the country from its dependence on foreign oil.
"Natural gas is a bridge to secure clean energy future," Reid said.
The company hopes to sell the electricity to NV Energy and has had some preliminary discussions with the utility but is not close to signing a power purchase agreement, the company said.
Good choice by Sithe Global. Natural gas is cheap and clean.
Natural gas is half as plentiful and a third more expensive the coal. Relying on a more expensive, less abundant fuel does not make much sense in terms of an energy security policy, especially when you factor in the use of natural gas for home heating.
And while some tout natural gas as "clean," natural gas plants still emit carbon dioxide and will require the same type of carbon capture and storage technology as coal-based power plants in order to meet stringent emissions reduction goals. Plus, if Department of Energy projections are correct, reducing carbon from natural gas plants actually will be more expensive than with traditional coal-fueled plants.
Fuel switching to natural gas is not a silver bullet. Coal must continue to be a part of the energy mix for Nevada and the United States in order to maintain the affordable, reliable electricity that fuels our economy.
I was pleased to see that the mayor of Mesquite thanked Senator Reid for his efforts. He does a lot for Nevada ... in spite of ourselves!
Great strides are being made across the U.S. to help clear the air through greater use of natural gas. The Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act passed through the Colorado House with strong, bipartisan support this week. The bill would retire or retrofit older coal plants, so the state gets more of its energy from natural gas and other low-carbon energy sources. The extensive availability of natural gas in Colorado makes the move a huge win for Colorado's environment and economy. A similar story is now unfolding in Nevada, where a developer has scrapped production of a coal-powered plant. Instead, natural gas and solar will provide clean power and create new local jobs. Hopefully others will follow these examples and help make a difference in communities across the nation.
You can follow our progress and read more on the ANGA blog here: http://www.anga.us/blog/.