The PJM Interconnection has 630 MW scheduled for deactivation in April as part of the nearly 5,700 MW of generation to be retired across the footprint in 2018, according to grid operator data.
Nearly 493 MW of natural gas-fired generation and 138 MW of coal-fired generation is slated to come offline in April. That follows 161 MW of generation already retired this year, which included 157 MW of oil and 3.7 MW of methane.
Gas deactivations include the 68-year-old, 71-MW natural gas-fired Bremo unit 3; the 60-year old, 156-MW natural gas-fired Bremo unit 4; and the 21-year-old, 266-MW natural gas-fired Bellemeade plant, PJM data showed.
Bremo heat rates averaged 10,812 Btu/kWh in 2016, while Bellemeade heat rates were 8,742 Btu/kWh, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. In comparison, PJM Dominion Hub on-peak marginal heats rates averaged 12,793 Btu/kWh in 2016.
Spot gas prices at Texas Eastern Transmission M-3 have averaged $6.533/MMBtu year to date, 161% higher than the 2017 average price, according to S&P Global Platts.
High gas prices have meant higher power prices as PJM Western Hub on-peak has averaged roughly $48.25/MWh year to date, up 46.5% from the 2017 average.
Natural gas generation averaged 26% of the PJM fuel mix in January and February, up from roughly 23.5% during the same time frame last year, while coal generation has averaged 32.5%, down from 33.7% last year, according to PJM data.
Coal deactivations include the 26-year-old, 69-MW coal-fired Mechlenberg units 1 and 2, according to PJM data. Mecklenberg heat rates averaged 12,196 Btu/kWh for 2016.
The Mecklenberg plant's total operating and maintenance cost was $69.35/MWh in 2016, while Bremo had a 2016 O&M cost of $441.94/MWh and Bellemeade was at $32.20/MWh in 2016, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
In comparison, wholesale power for PJM's Dominion Hub on-peak averaged around $34/MWh in 2016.
The amount of megawatts to be deactivated in 2018 is more than 173% higher than the 2,084 MW in 2017. Retirements for the remainder of 2018 include 3,446 MW of coal, 1,424 MW of natural gas and 308 MW of nuclear, according to PJM.
There is expected to be 173 MW of generation added in April, which includes 75 MW from the Kelson Ridge natural gas plant, 72 MW from the Hopewell-Surry solar farm, 24 MW from Locust Grove-Paytes solar farm, and 2 MW from the Minster storage facility.
