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Net Zero as a Disruptor
Net Zero as a Disruptor
Imagine a world in which we strictly adhere to the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise below 2° C. States follow California’s lead — Net Zero Energy buildings are the new standard and we are pushing in an Energy Positive direction. Whole communities are powered entirely by renewable energy. Hundreds of capital-intensive non-renewable power plants are decommissioned in favor of cleaner alternatives. In a Net Zero future, what becomes of the coal power plant?
Net Zero Energy Communities
Net Zero Energy Communities
Communities, like Ann Arbor's proposed Veridian at County Farms, will be entirely powered by renewable energy and aim to be Net Positive producers of energy and water. Veridian also grows its own produce and includes opportunities for affordable housing and co-living.
Features of Power Plant Sites:
Features of Power Plant Sites:
Assets
Assets
Connection to the grid/transmission capacity
Sites span hundreds of acres
Often near rail, ports, waterways and highway transportation
Located across the map in both urban and rural areas (varied development opportunities)
Costs
Costs
Ash ponds and environmental concerns: who pays?
Closure-in-place can cost $3.5M-$200M depending on site size and regulatory environment
Located across the map in both urban and rural areas (no uniform solution)
Reuse Case Studies
Reuse Case Studies
Potomac River Generating Station
Potomac River Generating Station
Potomac River Green is an innovative $450 million plan to transform the waterfront site of a coal-fired power plant in Alexandria, VA into an environmentally friendly, mixed-use community. This redevelopment would include some 600 multi-family and townhouse homes, 200,000 square feet of offices and shops, and an advanced, demonstration "energy building"/museum that would use efficiency and renewable energy technology to produce more power than it consumes, while also recycling wastewater and stormwater runoff for a substantial part of the development. (SmartCitiesDive)
Seaholm Power Plant
Seaholm Power Plant
The Seaholm Power Plant, out of commission since 1989, covers 118,000 sqft outside of Austin, TX. The site was used as a training facility until 2005. After nine years and $13 million of hazardous material cleanup, the Seaholm Power Plant was transformed into a 30-story residential condominium high rise, low-rise retail and office space, a Trader Joes, and True Foods Kitchen. The development includes energy efficient upgrades like rainwater harvesting and storage and updated walls and glazing, reducing energy usage by 25%. Seaholm was the first facility in the nation to receive a Ready for Reuse designation from the U.S. EPA and the Texas Commission on Environment Quality under the federal Toxic Substance Control Act. (BDCNetwork)
Brayton Point Power Station
Brayton Point Power Station
The 300-acre power plant located about 50 miles outside of Boston was decommissioned in 2017. Construction will begin in 2021 to transform the area into a "plug-in" between offshore wind turbines and the power grid. This $645M investment will also host 400 megawatts of battery storage and potentially, solar capacity. (Providence Journal)
Tanner Creek Generating Station
Tanner Creek Generating Station
Repurposing and reusing power plant sites is not always financial feasible or desirable. In 2015, Tanner Creek Generating Station, located in Southeast Indiana, closed its last generating unit after operating for more than 40 years. A subsidiary of the utility company American Electric Power paid a decommissioning specialist company $92 million in 2016 to take the 735 acre closed coal plant, and its environmental liabilities, off its hands. (APNews)
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