Is base load an outdated concept

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Is base load an outdated concept? Colorado New
Energy Economy Conference Mac McLennan Senior
Vice President, External Affairs
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TRI-STATE GT

• Consumer-owned, not-for-profit wholesale power
  supplier to 44 member electric co-ops
• Major initiatives
• Transmission development
• Energy efficiency
• Renewable energy
• New technology

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• BASE LOAD DEMAND

• 24x7 always on use
• Minimum power a utility must make available
• Determined by a utilitys load duration curve
• Can vary widely among different utilities serving
  different loads and regions

Intermediate demand
Baseload demand
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• BASE LOAD POWER PLANTS

• Meet 24X7 demand
• Always on, except for repairs or maintenance
• Redundant facilities across interconnected system
• Nuclear
• Coal
• Biomass
• Hydroelectric
• Geothermal

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• FUNDAMENTAL VALUE OF 24X7 BASE LOAD
  RESOURCES

• Provide backbone of the electric system
• Redundant facilities support reliability of
  electric system
• Designed to efficiently meet the requirements of
  24X7 demand
• May have longer lead times for development and
  higher capital costs, but lower fuel costs
  support electricity affordability

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• SO IS BASE LOAD AN OUTDATED CONCEPT?

• Base load component of demand exists and is
  growing!
• Peak shaving with solar increases system
  efficiency
• Demand-side management and smart grid are
  shifting loads to increase system efficiency
• Plug-in vehicles charged off-peak will increase
  efficiency of electric system
• These practices flatten demand over a period of
  time creating a larger base load component of
  demand

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• SO IS BASE LOAD AN OUTDATED CONCEPT?

• Perhaps a better question
• IS THE CURRENT SUITE OF BASE LOAD TECHNOLOGIES
  THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET FUTURE 24X7
  DEMAND?

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• NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO SERVE 24X7 DEMAND

• Fossil plants with carbon capture and
  sequestration
• Next generation nuclear power plants
• Expanded use of geothermal power plants
• Integrated renewable/ storage/load management
  systems
• Distributed generation with base load-serving
  qualities
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• DISTRIBUTED GENERATION AND RENEWABLES

• Highline Electric recovered energy system near
  Peetz
• La Plata Electric co-gen facility near Ignacio
• San Miguel Power hydro facility near Ouray
• Poudre Valley REA methane gas facility in
  northern Colo.
• Delta-Montrose EA hydropower project in western
  Colorado

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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

WE Energies Pleasant Prairie CO2 capture
demonstration project
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

Basin Electric PowerSpan ECO2 CO2 capture
demonstration project
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

Western Colorado CO2 sequestration assessment
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

Ion Transport Membranes (ITM) for oxy-combustion
or IGCC
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

EPRI Escalante Station solar augmentation project
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

Nucla Station atmospheric circulating
fluidized-bed combustion
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• NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Tri-State Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap
• Carbon capture and sequestration
• Solar/fossil hybrid integration
• Biomass co-firing
• Energy storage

Compressed air energy storage
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• PRUDENT STEPS TO MANAGE BASE LOAD TECHNOLOGY
  CHANGES

• Pursue multiple technologies both central
  station and distributed generation
• Ensure continued affordability and reliability
  until new technologies become commercially
  available
• Encourage energy efficiency and demand-side
  management help address load growth and shape
• Continue to invest in technology research,
  development, demonstration and commercialization

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