Free whitepapers on important industry issues, written by SNL Energy's expert analysts.
Summary and Analysis of Final EPA Air Toxics Rule
February 2012
EPA's recent Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) rule finalizes a process for restricting emissions from existing coal-fired boilers that goes back over two decades. Following on programs to mitigate acid rain (SOx) and ozone (NOx), MATS further defines standards for controlling emissions of mercury, acid gases, and fine particulates. Against a backdrop of rising costs and low power prices, many utilities and merchant generators face difficult decisions to either retrofit their plants or to retire them. In this white paper, SNL Energy summarizes the history of the MATS rulemaking, key elements of the final rule, and takes a closer look at potentially affected boilers and options for compliance.
Prospects for Coal to Natural Gas Switching in the Second half of 2011
September 2011
Coal to gas switching in 2009 and 2010 was seen by many industry observers as a temporary phenomenon. In 2011, gas prices have continued a period of relative stability lead by aggressive shale production. At the same time, a sharp rise in global coal demand has lead to skyrocketing Eastern coal prices. SNL Energy estimates potential coal displacement in the second half of 2011 using detailed plant-level operating and fuel delivery data.
Archive
Renewable Electricity - Tracking Projects & Progress in U.S. RPS
March 2011
Despite a tough investment environment over the last two years, development momentum
has driven a continued increase in production from renewable energy, making solid progress
toward state-mandated renewable energy goals. Construction of renewable projects slowed
significantly in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession.
SNL Energy finds however that sufficient project activity exists to meet RPS goals,
and that the gap between RPS goals and generation on the ground is relatively small.
Bringing new projects to market quickly enough to meet renewable portfolio targets will
depend on supportive project economics and continued encouragement from federal and state policymakers.
Where to Invest and Why: A Primer on Regional Power Market Analysis
October 2010
Transactions in electric generating assets continue to be a source of investment interest.
A healthy volume of generating asset transaction can be expected over the next several years,
as trends toward consolidation and rationalization of power investments play out. These trends
will vary in their impact on different regional markets for power, creating ongoing divergence
in generating asset performance and longer-term prospects. In this report, SNL Energy provides
a primer on headline metrics for regional analysis using SNL’s Regional Power Markets Summary
and the Energy Commodities data stream.
Game On: 2010 Prospects for Coal to Natural Gas Switching
March 2010
The weak electricity demand and oversupply of natural gas that characterized 2009
translated immediately to reduced coal burn and rapid inventory build at coal plants,
particularly in the Eastern U.S. Firming spot and forward prices for natural gas over
the winter brought some relief to coal-based utilities, but how much displacement can
we expect as we move into the spring and summer of 2010? An examination of current pricing
trends and wobbly fundamentals suggest the potential for steam coal displacement once
again this summer, though perhaps not as severe as 2009 when switching accounted for
about a 6% reduction in coal generation compared to 2008.
Renewable Electricity: Tracking State Output and Standards
July 2009
In this report, SNL Energy estimates the progress of individual states in achieving
supply targets for renewable electricity established by their respective renewable
portfolio standards (RPS). Summary measures are presented for each state and in a
weighted aggregate, including amount of intrastate electric deliveries subject to
RPS, current and eligible renewable generation, future targets, and planned renewable
capacity additions. The analysis also enables comparisons with the federal Renewable
Electricity Standard (RES) contained in the Waxman-Markey legislation.
Coal vs. Natural Gas: Counting the Displacement Potential
April 2009
In view of natural gas prices returning to pre-2002 levels, SNL Energy investigated the question of
how much coal burn could be displaced by natural gas in power generation. While many estimates to
this question have been publicized to date, SNL Energy presents internal analysis substantiated by
information from its power plant and fuel delivery databases and analysis of fuel economics in
power generation. Included in this report are links to tables and tools employed in the analysis.
