Even in Indiana, new renewables are cheaper than existing coal plants. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) presented analysis for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), finding it can save customers more than $4 billion over 30 years by moving from 65% coal today to 15% coal in 2023 and eliminating the resource by 2028. To replace retiring coal, NIPSCO found that a portfolio of solar, storage, wind and demand management is the most cost effective, along with a small amount of market purchases from the Midcontinent ISO. The utility will file its IRP on Oct. 31.
Utility Dive 22nd Oct 2018 read more »
Everyone “knows” that nuclear is expensive. We also know that existing reactors produce clean electricity very cheaply. So which is it, expensive or cheap? It depends how one calculates the value. Levelized Cost of Electricity, or LCOE, is a figure used to compare energy costs on a supposedly “levelized” way. Sounds fair, right? We calculate the LCOE for all energy sources and then build the cheapest one. Problem solved! Alas, it is not that simple. LCOE is a black, opaque box that can give basically any answer one wants. To understand the results of any given LCOE comparison, one needs to read the fine print – what assumptions went into the calculation and why – very carefully.
Energy Reporters 19th Sept 2018 read more »