Dive Brief:
Building renewable energy resources in Indiana is cheaper than keeping existing coal plants open, according to new plans from one utility in the state.
Last week, Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) presented analysis for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), finding it can save customers more than $4 billion over 30 years by moving from 65% coal today to 15% coal in 2023 and eliminating the resource by 2028.
To replace retiring coal, NIPSCO found that a portfolio of solar, storage, wind and demand management is the most cost effective, along with a small amount of market purchases from the Midcontinent ISO. The utility will file its IRP on Oct. 31.
また、事故からだいぶ年月が経った今では、環境要因からくる減少も非常に起こりにくくなっているはずである[例えば2018年のSanada(日本原子力研究開発機構)らの論文を参考にされたい (参照:Evaluation of ecological half-life of dose rate based on airborne radiation monitoring following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident)]。今後、環境要因からくる空間線量率の減少にどれくらい期待できるかは、未知数であろう。