【原】對于煤炭來說是壞消息：風能和太陽能原來越便宜了。英語讀頭條（第521期）

新用戶02986T3F 2020-09-17

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More bad news for coal: Wind and solar are getting cheaper

對于煤炭來說是壞消息：風能和太陽能原來越便宜了

By Matt Egan / Mar. 25, 2019

The simple laws of economics threaten to doom America's remaining coal power plants.

單純的經(jīng)濟規(guī)律，威脅著美國剩余的燃煤發(fā)電廠。

Wind and solar costs have plunged so rapidly that 74% of the US coal fleet could be phased out for renewable energy -- and still save customers money, according to a report released on Monday by Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan think tank.

無黨派智庫能源創(chuàng)新（Energy Innovation）周一發(fā)布的一份報告顯示，風能和太陽能成本急劇下降，美國74%的煤炭公司可能會被可再生能源逐步淘汰，但仍能為客戶節(jié)省資金。

plunged：暴跌，驟降

phased out：逐步淘汰

That figure of at-risk coal plants in the United States rises to 86% by 2025 as solar and wind costs continue to plunge.

隨著太陽能和風能成本持續(xù)下降，到2025年，美國面臨風險的燃煤發(fā)電廠的比例將上升到86%。

The research demonstrates how it's increasingly more expensive to operate existing coal plants than build clean energy alternatives.

這項研究表明，與建造清潔能源替代品相比，運營現(xiàn)有燃煤電廠的成本越來越高。

alternative：代用的，替代的

"US coal plants are in more danger than ever before," Mike O'Boyle, director of electricity policy at Energy Innovation, told CNN Business. "Nearly three-quarters of US coal plants are already 'zombie coal,' or the walking dead."

能源創(chuàng)新電力政策主管邁克·奧博伊爾（MikeO'Boyle）對美國有線電視新聞網(wǎng)（CNN）商業(yè)頻道（Business）表示：“美國煤電廠的危險比以往任何時候都要大。美國近四分之三的煤電廠已經(jīng)是‘僵尸煤電廠’，或者是行尸走肉“。

revive：恢復(fù)，重振

beleaguer：困擾，騷擾

slash：大幅削減，猛砍

clamped down：鉗制

emission：排放，排放物

Rust Belt coal plants under siege

處于困境的衰退的煤電廠

The Energy Innovation report found that in 2018, 211 gigawatts of existing US coal capacity -- or 74% of America's fleet -- was at risk from local wind or solar that could more cheaply churn out just as much electricity.

"能源創(chuàng)新"的報告發(fā)現(xiàn)，2018年，美國現(xiàn)有煤炭發(fā)電量211千兆瓦（占美國總發(fā)電量的74%）面臨著來自當?shù)仫L能或太陽能發(fā)電的替代風險，用它們生產(chǎn)發(fā)電量可能更便宜。

churn out：快速生產(chǎn)，大量生產(chǎn)

North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Texas are the US states that have the greatest amount of coal plants at risk from local solar and wind, the analysis found. Energy Innovation defined local as within 35 miles.

分析發(fā)現(xiàn)，北卡羅來納州、佛羅里達州、喬治亞州和德克薩斯州是受當?shù)靥柲芎惋L能替代危險最大的州。能源創(chuàng)新將當?shù)囟x為35英里以內(nèi)。

By 2025, Midwestern states including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin are expected to have high amounts of coal capacity under pressure from renewable energy.

到2025年，包括印第安納州、密歇根州、俄亥俄州和威斯康星州在內(nèi)的中西部各州預(yù)計在可再生能源的壓力下?lián)碛写罅康拿禾慨a(chǎn)能。

Of course, just because it may be economically feasible to shut down a coal plant and replace it with wind or solar, doesn't mean it will happen right away. State regulators must sign off on such decisions. And many power plants will decide to pass the extra costs on to customers.

當然，僅僅因為關(guān)閉一個燃煤發(fā)電廠并用風能或太陽能替代它在經(jīng)濟上是可行的，并不意味著它會馬上發(fā)生。國家監(jiān)管機構(gòu)必須簽署此類決定。而且許多發(fā)電廠會決定把額外的成本轉(zhuǎn)嫁給客戶。

Moreover, coal is still a major employer in parts of Appalachia, making any shutdown potentially damaging to the local economy.

此外，煤炭仍然是阿巴拉契亞部分地區(qū)的主要行業(yè)，任何停工都可能對當?shù)亟?jīng)濟造成損害。

Appalachia：阿巴拉契亞

Coal has been dethroned

煤炭已經(jīng)被淘汰了

dethroned：廢黜

Coal was the longtime king of the power industry before it encountered fierce competition last decade from natural gas. Not only is natural gas a cleaner burning fossil fuel, but it's in abundance in the United States thanks to the shale revolution. In 2016, natural gas surpassed coal for the first time as America's leading power source.

在過去十年中，煤炭受到天然氣的激烈競爭之前，它一直是電力工業(yè)的王者。天然氣不僅是一種清潔燃燒的化石燃料，而且由于頁巖革命，它在美國非常豐富。2016年，天然氣首次超過煤炭，成為美國領(lǐng)先的能源來源。

shale：頁巖

in abundance：充足，豐富

Meanwhile, the share of total power generation from coal-fired power plants plunged from 48% in 2008 to just 28% last year, according to government statistics.

同時，據(jù)政府統(tǒng)計，燃煤發(fā)電廠的總發(fā)電量份額從2008年的48%下降到去年的28%。

And the rise of renewables means that the economics have once again swung against coal. Aided by a surge of investment in clean energy, solar prices have plummeted 90% since 2009 -- and they're projected to continue declining, according to Energy Innovation.

可再生能源的興起意味著經(jīng)濟再次對煤炭產(chǎn)生沖擊。在清潔能源投資激增的推動下，太陽能價格自2009年以來已暴跌90%，據(jù)能源創(chuàng)新公司（Energy Innovation）的數(shù)據(jù)，預(yù)計將繼續(xù)下跌。

plummet：垂直下降，驟然跌落

surge：大浪，波濤

Against that backdrop, renewable energy is projected to be the fastest-growing source of US electricity generation for at least the next two years, according to a January report published by the US Energy Information Administration.

根據(jù)美國能源信息管理局1月份發(fā)布的一份報告，在這種背景下，可再生能源預(yù)計將至少在未來兩年成為美國發(fā)電量增長最快的來源。

backdrop：背景

Utility-scale solar power is expected to increase by 10% in 2019 alone, while wind power is expected to vault ahead of hydropower for the first time, the EIA said.

環(huán)評報告稱，僅在2019年，公用事業(yè)規(guī)模的太陽能發(fā)電預(yù)計將增長10%，而風力發(fā)電預(yù)計將首次超越水力發(fā)電。

Utility-scale：公用事業(yè)規(guī)模

vault：跳躍

"Coal's biggest threat is now economics, not regulations," O'Boyle said.

奧博伊爾說：“煤炭的最大威脅現(xiàn)在是經(jīng)濟，而不是法規(guī)?！?/span>

New Mexico pledges to go carbon free

新墨西哥州承諾無碳排放

Another challenge for coal: American households and businesses are increasingly clamoring for clean energy as they worry about climate change.

煤炭面臨的另一個挑戰(zhàn)是：由于擔心氣候變化，美國家庭和企業(yè)越來越多地呼吁清潔能源。

clamoring：喧鬧，叫囂

Households and businesses are installing their own solar panels. Small-scape solar generating capacity is expected to grow by 44% over the next two years, according to the EIA.

家庭和企業(yè)正在安裝自己的太陽能電池板。根據(jù)環(huán)境影響評估，小型太陽能發(fā)電設(shè)備的發(fā)電量預(yù)計在未來兩年增長44%。

Pressured by voters, US states are adopting ambitious clean energy targets -- and they're framing them as job creators.

在選民的壓力下，美國各州正在采取雄心勃勃的清潔能源目標，并將其界定為創(chuàng)造就業(yè)的因素。

Last week, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law a bold plan that aims to source half the state's power from renewable energy by 2030. And by 2045, New Mexico plans to be 100% carbon-free.

上周，新墨西哥州州長魯揚·格里沙姆（Michelle Lujan Grisham）簽署了一項大膽的計劃，該計劃旨在到2030年前將該州一半的電力來自使用可再生能源。到2045年，新墨西哥州計劃使用100%無碳排放能源。

Future generations "will benefit from both a cleaner environment and a more robust energy economy with exciting career and job opportunities," Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

魯揚·格里沙姆在一份聲明中說，下一代“將受益于更清潔的環(huán)境和更強勁的能源經(jīng)濟，以及令人興奮的職業(yè)和就業(yè)機會?！?/span>

California and Hawaii also recently passed 100% clean energy targets.

加州和夏威夷最近也通過了100%的清潔能源目標。

Some power companies are moving rapidly to adjust to this new environment.

一些電力公司正在迅速適應(yīng)這種新環(huán)境。

Xcel Energy (XEL), a Minneapolis-based power company that serves western and Midwestern states, recently pledged to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. The plan calls for doubling Xcel's wind power while slashing its dependence on coal.

Xcel能源公司（XEL），一家位于明尼阿波利斯的電力公司，為西部和中西部各州提供服務(wù)，最近承諾到2050年提供100%的無碳電力。該計劃要求將Xcel的風力發(fā)電量翻番，同時減少對煤炭的依賴。

All signs point to more and more power companies waking up to the new clean energy reality.

所有跡象都表明，越來越多的電力公司意識到了清潔能源已經(jīng)到來的現(xiàn)實了。