NRG testing biomass at Louisiana plant
NEW ROADS, LOUISIANA - Power generator NRG Energy Inc. said that it is testing whether switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum could be used to replace some of the coal used at the company's Big Cajun II power plant in Louisiana.
NRG said the project could lead to commercial-scale projects using biomass fuels to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from other coal-fired plants.
NRG is planting 20 acres of switchgrass and sorghum at the plant site using seed and growing techniques provided by Ceres, a developer and marketer of high-yield energy grasses. The switchgrass and sorghum were chosen for use specifically in Louisiana's soil and climate, and will be managed by a local grower.
The next phase, expected to be done next year, will use the biomass as a partial fuel for electric generation.
NRG shares fell 19 cents to $28.38 in recent trading. The shares have traded between $14.39 and $29.26 over the past year.
Princeton, N.J.-based NRG has generation capacity of 24,000 megawatts, enough to supply more than 20 million homes. Its retail business, Reliant Energy, serves more than 1.6 million customers in Texas.
Related News
TC Energy confirms Ontario pumped storage project is advancing
TORONTO - In a bid to accelerate the province's ambitions for clean economic growth, TC Energy Corporation has announced significant progress in the development of the Ontario Pumped Storage Project. The Government of Ontario in Canada has unveiled a sustainable road map aimed at achieving an emission-free electricity sector, and as part of this plan, the Ministry of Energy is set to undertake a final evaluation of the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Project. A decision is expected to be reached by the end of the year.
Ontario Pumped Storage is a collaborative effort between TC Energy and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.…
