After the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) closed in 2012, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant is the last remaining nuclear power plant operating in California. Located near San Luis Obispo, the Diablo Canyon facility is operated by PG&E and is composed of two pressurized-water nuclear reactors. Each reactor can produce electricity at a rate of 1,100 MW and the plant typically operates at an average capacity factor of 0.89. Nuclear power plants such as Diablo Canyon are important sources of baseload electricity because of their high output capability and low variable operating costs. In June 2016 due to a number of factors (including proximity to earthquake fault lines), PG&E announced that it plans to close Diablo Canyon when the current operating license expires in 2025. c. Assuming total electricity generation in 2012 remained the same as in 2011, and all of the lost capacity from shutting down SONGS was made up by increased output from California’s natural gas-fired power plants, how much additional CO2, in pounds, was released in 2012? Assume that when SONGS was operational (prior to 2012) its electricity generation emitted no CO2, Diablo Canyon generated as much electricity in 2012 as it did in 2016, and that California natural gas-fired power plants emit 375 lbs of CO2 per MWh.
After the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) closed in 2012, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant is the last remaining nuclear power plant operating in California. Located near San Luis Obispo, the Diablo Canyon facility is operated by PG&E and is composed of two pressurized-water nuclear reactors. Each reactor can produce electricity at a rate of 1,100 MW and the plant typically operates at an average capacity factor of 0.89. Nuclear power plants such as Diablo Canyon are important sources of baseload electricity because of their high output capability and low variable operating costs. In June 2016 due to a number of factors (including proximity to earthquake fault lines), PG&E announced that it plans to close Diablo Canyon when the current operating license expires in 2025.
c. Assuming total electricity generation in 2012 remained the same as in 2011, and all of the lost capacity from shutting down SONGS was made up by increased output from California’s natural gas-fired power plants, how much additional CO2, in pounds, was released in 2012? Assume that when SONGS was operational (prior to 2012) its electricity generation emitted no CO2, Diablo Canyon generated as much electricity in 2012 as it did in 2016, and that California natural gas-fired power plants emit 375 lbs of CO2 per MWh.
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps with 4 images
