While environmental regulations have received the bulk of
attention when it comes time to close a coal-fired plant,
closure are generally known to be a result of multiple factors.
A new study conducted by Susan Tierney managing principal at the
Analysis group, an economic, financial and strategy consultant
group, finds market factors, not the Environmental Protection
Agency, have driven coal plant closures. Tierney also served as
assistant energy secretary during the Clinton administration.
‘Putting aside the political context of the current debate, a
closer examination of the facts reveals that the recent
retirement announcements are part of a longer‐term trend that
has been affecting both existing coal plants and many proposals
to build new ones,’ Tierney wrote. ‘The sharp decline in natural
gas prices, the rising cost of coal and reduced demand for
electricity are all contributing factors in the decisions to
retire some of the country’s oldest coal‐fired generating units.
These trends started well before E