UK opposes a 2030 renewable energy target (Conservative push nuclear)

[kristopher]

2. The main opponents of natural gas are the coal and nuclear industries.

Coal is responsible for a significant, but minority, amount of our carbon emissions. Since, using established measures of emissions natural gas emits about 40% of coal's CO2 emissions, replacing coal with natural gas would have a immediate positive impact, but by itself would do little to change the trajectory we are on.

The primary positive benefit would be the difference in the economic and operational profile of the grid that such a change would bring about. Natural gas plants make it technologically far easier to integrate large amounts of variable energy sources like wind and solar, and, because of their low capital cost and relatively high fuel costs they also are easier to economically displace as more and more renewables come online. Their relatively small capital investment is far easier to work out with a renewable induced decline in market share because there is a related steadily escalating value in the ability to ramp up and down quickly. This will assure increased per MWH revenue even as the number of MWH generated declines.

In other words they phase out without even a whimper, much less the titanic struggle that coal and nuclear wage. For them, the encroachment of renewables is an almost immediate existential crisis because they can only recoup their capital and operating costs by operating almost constantly. If they lose 25% market share it is nearly impossible for them to raise the price of the power they sell into the remaining 75% enough to make up for the revenue lost.

We have more than enough installed natural gas plants to make the transition to renewables if we decide to just build out all of our renewable alternative and I'd prefer that we pursue that path with all haste. However given the real choices on the table, the quickest route is to shift the economics and technological profile of the grid by shutting down as much large scale centralized generation as rapidly we can. Coal and nuclear are two sides of the same coin.

U.S. Electricity: Coal's Share Drops to 33-Year Low in Winter 2011
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According to the EIA, the drop in generation from the black rock is the result of warmer weather and increased natural gas use. Total electricity consumption was down 7% in December 2011 compared to December 2010.

Despite this, natural gas saw its consumption rise 12% to 86 terawatts between December 2010 and December 2011 On the other hand, coal's generation dipped 21% to 132 terawatts during the same time frame.

For energy providers, coal is still the number one option, however, low prices and the high efficiency rate of combined cycle power plants is making natural gas more competitive with America's old stalwart energy source.

Coal's competitive advantage in the energy sector looks as though it will continue to decline in near future. New environmental regulations imposed on the industry by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has led to a series of power plant closures, as utilities claim it is too expensive to implement the technology required to meet the new standards.

http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/us-electricity-coals-share-drops-33-year-low-winter-2011