The situation
Your starting point
You begin in 2006 with a coal plant and a decision about what comes next. The shale boom makes natural gas increasingly attractive as your utility grows.
A low fuel bill today does not guarantee one for the life of a new plant. This twenty-year scenario gives your investment time to pay off, and gives fuel prices time to test the assumptions behind it.
The choices
What will you do?
-
Choose how far to lean into gas
Compare the immediate savings with the cost of tying more of your fleet to a single fuel.
-
Prepare for a less comfortable year
Leave room for price shocks and reduced output. A plan built around the cheapest months may struggle when conditions change.
-
Grow without losing your footing
Match construction to demand and keep enough cash to operate. Cheap generation does little good if the company cannot finance its next move.
Put your plan to the test
How much of a temporary advantage would you turn into a twenty-year investment?
Build, watch what happens, and try a different approach. The grid is yours to run.
-
The End of an Era
Your company's coal plants are getting old. Their replacements need years to build, and competitors are ready to take the customers you lose.
Explore scenario -
Data Center Boom
The data centers arrive in 2026. Their power needs are much bigger than your small city utility, and residents still need affordable electricity.
Explore scenario -
Carbon Fee
Coal helped build your company. Now every tonne of emissions comes with a bill, and replacing the old fleet will take time and money.
Explore scenario