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

solar power

States have big hopes for renewable energy. Get ready to pay for it.

ALBANY - A generational push to tackle climate change in New York is quickly becoming a pocketbook issue headed into 2024.

Some upstate New York electric customers are already paying 10 percent of their utility bill to support the state’s effort to move off fossil fuels and into renewable energy. In the coming years, people across the state can expect to give up even bigger chunks of their income to the programs — $48 billion in projects is set to be funded by consumers over the next two decades.

The scenario is creating a headache for New York Democrats grappling with the…

READ MORE
is-ontario-power-cost-effective

Is Ontario's Power Cost-Effective?

READ MORE

ev-battery-plant-project-montreal

Northvolt Affirms Continuation of EV Battery Plant Project Near Montreal

READ MORE

Las Pailas plant, Costa Rica

Costa Rica hits record electricity generation from 99% renewable sources

READ MORE

why-atomic-energy-is-heating-up-again

Why Atomic Energy Is Heating Up Again

READ MORE