Conventional Power

The US Energy Information Agency data on US net generation shows that Conventional Power is changing due to cheaper natural gas and the increase in renewable energy. Coal and natural gas are the primary fuel for power generation facilities in the US. These two fuels make up approximately 66% of our power generation. With the recent application of fracking, natural gas facilities have gone from 17.1% in 2001 to 27.5% in 2014, whereas coal generation has dropped from 51.0% in 2001 to 38.6% in 2014.

The current issue with today's Conventional Power market is should we retire, rebuild, or replace these Conventional Power plants. With cheap natural gas, the focus as of late, is replace. The environmental improvements with burning natural gas versus coal can be significant if the coal plants are not using the latest emissions abatement technologies. Therefore, we see more natural gas combined cycle plants being built, which is changing our nation's power generation profile.

PF Engineers has been the independent engineer for numerous conventional power projects, including the next generation ultra-supercritical coal plants and H-Class combined cycle plants. Some of the technologies that we have reviewed include:

• Coal
• Combined Cycle
• Simple Cycle
• Reciprocating Engines

Whether you are a developer, sponsor, or a lender, PF Engineers can help you evaluate your conventional project(s) and make sure that a thorough due diligence effort is completed. We will focus on the key issues and work to ensure that these plants are being built to last. We can also provide a detailed assessment of the O&M plans and expenses match the desired expectation for a long term operation of the project.