Pennsylvania plant to convert generators from coal to gas

I guess this could sort of tie in with http://nepacrossroads.com/about23045.html


http://www.stargazette.com/article/2011 ... RONTPAGE|s

By the time they get it online in 2015 gas prices will have climbed back to the point of being more expensive than coal and they will have wished they installed the modern pollution control mentioned in the 7th paragraph.

Anybody know if they burn anthracite or bit - I would think bit for power gen?

Don't know why it would take so long, back in the 70s at work we converted six coal boilers to natural gas in six months or maybe just a little less, 12 hr. days 7 days a week while the other six NG boilers were still running.

I have a little experience in municipal projects so let me use that to try to explain the 2015 start up...

the first 6 months will be to do an engineering study to see if the conversion is feasible and finding out the cost is about twice the initial estimate...

the next 3 months is to search for an engineering firm to write the spec...

the next 12 months is spent writing the spec...

the next 3 months is spent getting getting comments on the published spec and finding out the updated estimated cost needs to be increased by about 1/3...

the next 3 months is spent updating the spec...

the next 3 months is getting the bids, qualifying the winning bidder and awarding the project to the lowest bidder ensuring that the contractor will cut every imaginable corner to save money and break even on the project (cause the profit is in the change orders, see below)...

the next 6 months is installing the new system...(Samhill...here is your 6 month window)

two months later the official start up, demo and transfer of ownership occurs even though there are about 250 discrepancies and bugs to work out...

we are now in 2015!

By the way, the next 1 year is spent paying for change orders (that total about the initial estimated cost) to the installed system so that it works and actually does what the end customer wanted in the first place.

I hear you titleist, guess that's the advantage of having a couple of boiler makers being asked by our engineer how we should go about it, & them him saying I'll draw it up while we order & stage materials.

You would never know what would happen !
Back in 1980 I bought my first PC XT, used, 2500 Dollars, and I still love that thing just as you guys love your coal stoves.
My girlfriend has an iPhone I would say 100 to 1000 times faster than my PC, tons of apps ( short for software applications ) and portable, the benefit list can go on and on. all for the fraction of the price , keep in mind a 2500 Dollars ticket in 1980, adjust for inflation, I mean you could have bought a nice size lot to build a house on one, you can almost do that now with the real estate crash, but that's a different story

the same could happen, I am sure you guys will miss those coal bins, taking out the ashes, no seeing dancing blue ladies as you call them,your grates, the feed adjustment, and teeth numbers, and all that stuff, worst of all, there will be no forum, What will Richard do ? Oh No ! I mean I don't see a forum for washing machines !

the best you can hope for, is to have the local corrupt politicians implement a pipe install to your homes, without raping you on the cost, and God forbid they make owning a coal stove illegal, there is no limit on the damage caused by corporate money when buying politicians.

So get used to it, it may turn out for the better, and why not, after all it's here in Nepa. and part of the reason it's happening is the new technology !

Cheers

Moore's law does not apply to fuel...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law
But your point is taken...
Nobody knows what will happen with the NG prices or finds...
Keep your options open...