【原】對(duì)于煤炭來(lái)說(shuō)是壞消息：風(fēng)能和太陽(yáng)能原來(lái)越便宜了。英語(yǔ)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(duì)于煤炭來(lái)說(shuō)是壞消息：風(fēng)能和太陽(yáng)能原來(lái)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(jì)規(guī)律，威脅著美國(guó)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(wú)黨派智庫(kù)能源創(chuàng)新（Energy Innovation）周一發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告顯示，風(fēng)能和太陽(yáng)能成本急劇下降，美國(guó)74%的煤炭公司可能會(huì)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(yáng)能和風(fēng)能成本持續(xù)下降，到2025年，美國(guó)面臨風(fēng)險(xiǎn)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(xiàng)研究表明，與建造清潔能源替代品相比，運(yùn)營(yíng)現(xiàn)有燃煤電廠的成本越來(lái)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(duì)美國(guó)有線電視新聞網(wǎng)（CNN）商業(yè)頻道（Business）表示：“美國(guó)煤電廠的危險(xiǎn)比以往任何時(shí)候都要大。美國(guó)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(bào)告發(fā)現(xiàn)，2018年，美國(guó)現(xiàn)有煤炭發(fā)電量211千兆瓦（占美國(guó)總發(fā)電量的74%）面臨著來(lái)自當(dāng)?shù)仫L(fēng)能或太陽(yáng)能發(fā)電的替代風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，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(lái)納州、佛羅里達(dá)州、喬治亞州和德克薩斯州是受當(dāng)?shù)靥?yáng)能和風(fēng)能替代危險(xiǎn)最大的州。能源創(chuàng)新將當(dāng)?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(jì)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(dāng)然，僅僅因?yàn)殛P(guān)閉一個(gè)燃煤發(fā)電廠并用風(fēng)能或太陽(yáng)能替代它在經(jīng)濟(jì)上是可行的，并不意味著它會(huì)馬上發(fā)生。國(guó)家監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)必須簽署此類(lèi)決定。而且許多發(fā)電廠會(huì)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(duì)當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)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(guò)去十年中，煤炭受到天然氣的激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng)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(yè)巖革命，它在美國(guó)非常豐富。2016年，天然氣首次超過(guò)煤炭，成為美國(guó)領(lǐng)先的能源來(lái)源。

shale：頁(yè)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(shí)，據(jù)政府統(tǒng)計(jì)，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(jì)再次對(duì)煤炭產(chǎn)生沖擊。在清潔能源投資激增的推動(dòng)下，太陽(yáng)能價(jià)格自2009年以來(lái)已暴跌90%，據(jù)能源創(chuàng)新公司（Energy Innovation）的數(shù)據(jù)，預(yù)計(jì)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(guó)能源信息管理局1月份發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告，在這種背景下，可再生能源預(yù)計(jì)將至少在未來(lái)兩年成為美國(guó)發(fā)電量增長(zhǎng)最快的來(lái)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(píng)報(bào)告稱(chēng)，僅在2019年，公用事業(yè)規(guī)模的太陽(yáng)能發(fā)電預(yù)計(jì)將增長(zhǎng)10%，而風(fēng)力發(fā)電預(yù)計(jì)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(shuō)：“煤炭的最大威脅現(xiàn)在是經(jīng)濟(jì)，而不是法規(guī)?！?/span>

New Mexico pledges to go carbon free

新墨西哥州承諾無(wú)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(gè)挑戰(zhàn)是：由于擔(dān)心氣候變化，美國(guó)家庭和企業(yè)越來(lái)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(yáng)能電池板。根據(jù)環(huán)境影響評(píng)估，小型太陽(yáng)能發(fā)電設(shè)備的發(fā)電量預(yù)計(jì)在未來(lái)兩年增長(zhǎng)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(guó)各州正在采取雄心勃勃的清潔能源目標(biāo)，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(zhǎng)魯揚(yáng)·格里沙姆（Michelle Lujan Grisham）簽署了一項(xiàng)大膽的計(jì)劃，該計(jì)劃旨在到2030年前將該州一半的電力來(lái)自使用可再生能源。到2045年，新墨西哥州計(jì)劃使用100%無(wú)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(yáng)·格里沙姆在一份聲明中說(shuō)，下一代“將受益于更清潔的環(huán)境和更強(qiáng)勁的能源經(jīng)濟(jì)，以及令人興奮的職業(yè)和就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)?！?/span>

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

加州和夏威夷最近也通過(guò)了100%的清潔能源目標(biāo)。

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(wú)碳電力。該計(jì)劃要求將Xcel的風(fēng)力發(fā)電量翻番，同時(shí)減少對(duì)煤炭的依賴(lài)。

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(lái)越多的電力公司意識(shí)到了清潔能源已經(jīng)到來(lái)的現(xiàn)實(shí)了。