Power Plant Costs by Type
A table comparing construction and on-going costs of all major power types as well as land requirements using a 125MW plant as an example.| Power Plant Type | Land Area (acres) | Acres per MW | Total Construction Cost | Construction Cost per MW | Annual Fuel Cost | Fuel Cost per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil-Fired | 30–50 | 0.24–0.40 | $150M – $312M | $1.2M – $2.5M | $66,596,000.00 | $0.14 |
| Natural Gas-Fired | 20–40 | 0.16–0.32 | $112M – $187M | $0.9M – $1.5M | $8,130,000.00 | $0.02 |
| Coal-Fired | 30–60 | 0.24–0.48 | $250M – $437M | $2.0M – $3.5M | $15,657,000.00 | $0.03 |
| Nuclear Power | 500 | 4 | $750M | $6.0M | $4,928.00 | $0.00 |
| USP (Universal Solar Power) | 1 | 0.008 | $56.25M | $0.45M | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Power Capacity Factor
Different types of power plant are available to generate power different percentages of the time.| Power Source | Capacity Factor (%) | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Oil-Fired | ~45% | High fuel costs and maintenance lead to limited operation. |
| Natural Gas-Fired | ~55% | Used for both baseload (continuous) and peak (on-demand) power. |
| Coal-Fired | ~60% | Runs consistently but requires downtime for maintenance. |
| Nuclear Power | ~90% | Designed for continuous operation with minimal downtime. |
| USP (Universal Solar Power) | 100.00% | 24-hour energy storage & diffuse light collection ensure continuous generation. |
| Traditional Solar PV | ~25% | Only generates when the sun is shining, no storage. |
| Wind Power | ~35% | Dependent on wind availability, intermittent. |
Waste by Power Type
The waste products of a power plant are more than an environmental issue. The waste must be removed and, if needed, processed or stored. Plant waste is an economic issue and a labor issue.| Power Plant Type | Annual Carbon Produced per MW (tons CO2) | Annual Waste Type | Annual Waste Produced per MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil-Fired | 3153.6 | Ash, Sludge | 0.5 tons of toxic sludge |
| Natural Gas-Fired | 1927.2 | Minimal Waste | Some pipeline contaminants, negligible solid waste |
| Coal-Fired | 5256.0 | Coal Ash | 4.5 tons of coal ash |
| Nuclear Power | 0.0 | Spent Nuclear Fuel | 20 kg of high-level radioactive waste |
| USP (Universal Solar Power) | 0.0 | None | No waste produced |
USP Plant Profitability
Using very conservative operating costs and energy sales prices, monthly profit is calculated including Renewable Energy Certificate sales price. The final column is a calculation of annual profit.| Capacity (MW) | Operating Cost per kWh | Expenses | Sales Price per kWh | Revenue | RECs Generated | REC Revenue | Profit | Annual Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $0.010 | $360,000 | $0.02 | $720,000 | 36,000 | $720,000 | $1,440,000 | $17,280,000 |
| 100 | $0.008 | $576,000 | $0.02 | $1,440,000 | 72,000 | $1,440,000 | $2,880,000 | $34,560,000 |
| 500 | $0.006 | $2,160,000 | $0.02 | $7,200,000 | 360,000 | $7,200,000 | $14,400,000 | $172,800,000 |
| 1000 | $0.004 | $2,880,000 | $0.02 | $14,400,000 | 720,000 | $14,400,000 | $28,800,000 | $345,600,000 |
Savings and Return On Investment
What it means for a business to own a USP plant in terms of savings and return on investment.| Electric Rate (per kWh) | Cost Per MW Per Month | Cost Per MW Per Year | ROI (months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.09 | $64,800 | $788,400 | 6.9 |
| $0.12 | $86,400 | $1,051,200 | 5.2 |
| $0.15 | $108,000 | $1,314,000 | 4.2 |