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  3. A US Energy Department report calls for incentives to boost coal-fired and nuclear power plants following a stream of closures t

A US Energy Department report calls for incentives to boost coal-fired and nuclear power plants following a stream of closures t

admin2018-03-26  57
问题    A US Energy Department report calls for incentives to boost coal-fired and nuclear power plants following a stream of closures that it said undermined reliable sources of electricity. The findings of the study, released late on Wednesday, drew scorn from renewable energy advocates but praise from the coal and nuclear industries. The report dovetails with(与......相吻合)President Donald Trump’s promise to revive the ailing mining sector. But it differs from conclusions presented in an earlier draft, which had said big increases in renewable power generation remained possible without undermining grid reliability. The administration had not yet reviewed the early draft, which was written by department staff.
   Energy Secretary Rick Perry commissioned the study in April to evaluate whether "regulatory burdens" imposed by past administrations, including that of former President Barack Obama, had hurt the grid by forcing shutdowns of baseload(基本负载)plants, which provide nonstop power, like those fired by coal and nuclear fuel. Obama had introduced a number of regulations intended to slash emissions of carbon dioxide, which are blamed for climate change. This accelerated the retirement of coal-fired power plants and bolstered the newly-developed solar and wind sectors, which depend heavily on weather conditions for their power output.
   " It is apparent that in today’s competitive markets certain regulations and subsidies are having a large impact on the functioning of markets, and thereby challenging our power generation mix," Perry said in a letter introducing the study. " It is important for policy makers to consider their intended and unintended effects. "
   The study, conducted by the department’s staff, said cheap natural gas was the main driver of the closure of baseload coal and nuclear plants, a trend that was putting areas of the country at greater risk of power outages. The department recommended giving baseload plants pricing advantages for their power, as well as making it easier and cheaper to get permits to build more such projects.
   Howard Crystal, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity which advocates for clean energy, called the recommendations "dangerously misguided". "The reality is that we can protect our planet and our energy supplies by embracing wind and solar," he said.
   Some coal and nuclear energy groups welcomed the final report’s findings. " This is a much-needed, pragmatic look at US electricity reliability and resilience(复原力), including the priority of maintaining critical clean baseload power as electricity markets change," said Rich Powell, director of ClearPath, which advocates for nuclear and hydropower. Last week, Neil Chatterjee, the newly appointed chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said coal plants needed to be "properly compensated to recognize the value they provide to the system. "
According to Energy Department, what makes it necessary to boost coal-fired and nuclear power plants?
选项 A、The promise to revive mining sector.
B、The urgency to maintain grid reliability.
C、The large impact of cheap natural gas.
D、The growing needs for sustainable power.
答案B
解析 事实细节题。本题考查美国能源部提议支持传统电厂的必要性。第一段第一句提到，美国能源部指出，火力发电厂和核能发电厂的大量关闭影响了稳定的电力供应，故而提议对此类发电厂给予支持；而第四段第一句再次强调，关闭基荷煤电厂及核能发电厂将国家的众多地区置于电能短缺的危机之中。可见，能源部支持这类传统电厂是保持电力供应持续稳定的迫切需要，故答案为B)。A)“复苏采矿行业的承诺”，能源部的报告与特朗普复苏矿业的承诺相一致，这是作者对此报告的判断，并非能源部的看法，故排除；C)“廉价天然气的巨大影响”是对第四段第一句的曲解，原文是指廉价的天然气是关停火力和核能电厂的主要因素，故排除；D)“对可再生电能需求的增长”不符合原文意思，原文没有提到电能需求是否增长，故排除。
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