​​​​​​​​The rise of competitive power markets together with growing variable renewable generation are forcing coal-fired power plants into a reactionary posture, where they operate in a cycling manner instead of the traditional lengthy runtimes at or near rated load. Coal-fired power plants accumulate damage and degradation in key components during every start-up, shutdown, and ramping between load states – eventually leading to failure and reduced availability. This NRECA Surveillance series summarizes CEATI’s report Optimization of Coal-Fired Power Plant Modifications to Improve Cyclic Performance, providing guidance on the adaptations that electric cooperatives can make to coal-fired power plants to improve their availability.

• Part 1: Equipment failure and damage mechanisms and the effect of cycling on forced outages.
  

• Part 2: Modifications of major equipment. ​
  

• Part 3: Balance-of-plant modifications.​
  

• Part 4: How to calculate cost estimates for three categories of plant modifications, as well as their economic value. ​