The Stranded Asset Threat to Natural Gas

There are $70 billion worth of natural gas-fired power plants planned in the U.S. through the mid 2020s. But a combination of wind, solar, batteries and demand-side management could threaten 90 percent of those investments.

New modeling from the Rocky Mountain Institute shows that more than 60 gigawatts of new gas plants are already economically challenged. And by the mid 2030s, existing gas plants will be under threat.

How severe is the threat? Could we eventually see tens of gigawatts of stranded gas plants?

RMI set out to answer that question in two reports on the economics of gas generation and gas pipelines. The tipping point is now.

Our guest, Mark Dyson, is a principal at RMI and one of the co-authors of the analysis. He joins us to talk about the modeling, the threat, and the consequences to power providers and investors.

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