Advanced Coal Plant Canceled

A state-of-the-art integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) electrical power plant was canceled last week in Florida due to uncertainty over future carbon-capture requirements in the state. The 285-MW plant to be located in Orlando was canceled by its owner, Southern Co., only two months after groundbreaking. Southern would have received $235 million in federal funds for the $557 million facility, which was to be one of four Department of Energy IGCC demonstration projects. To meet future energy demand, Southern plans to build a natural-gas-fired plant at the site and will move ahead with other IGCC plants in other states; the firm will also focus more on energy efficiency. Concerning efficiency, a new study led by Dow indicated that 80% of the increase by 2030 in the developed world's energy needs, which had been expected to be met by coal-fired power plants, could be accomplished through energy efficiency investments. Along with Dow, the study was led by the Alliance To Save Energy and the United Nations Foundation. Dow CEO Andrew Liveris called efficiency the "cornerstone" of any successful energy policy. The study is available at www.unfoundation.org.