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0 pointstlb9y ago0 comments

Right, coal plants are expensive mainly because of the scrubbers required to reduce sulfur emissions (which caused acid rain through the 1970s). A government committed to eliminating "burdensome" regulations could make coal power extremely cheap again.

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5 comments · 3 top-level

extra889y ago· 2 in thread

Even if the federal government substantially changes its position, many states have their own clean air laws and the courts are open to states suing other states they are "downwind" from.

klipt9y ago

What if Trump fills the courts with pro-coal judges?

extra889y ago

Federal judges serve a long time, there may still be some picked by the first Bush on the bench. One president, hopefully with only one term, can't have that big an impact on the entire federal judiciary. And federal judges have their liberal and conservative tendencies but they tend to be pretty non-partisan.

Arnt9y ago

Do you think so? Anything other than deferring plant/mine closure running requires investment as well as regulation.

The wise investor knows that what government giveth, government can take away after the next election, and when is that election due? Before or after the break-even date for the investment?

Retric9y ago

America has little need for new power plants, so even if coal became really cheap there is little incentive to build a bunch of coal power plants.

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