How does IGCC compare cost-wise to other resources?
As an emerging technology, IGCC is more expensive to build than other power generation (except for nuclear power). Electricity from a new, conventional coal plant costs, on average, about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Power from a new IGCC coal plant with full carbon capture and sequestration should cost 7.3-9.6 cents per kWh (factoring in the capture-related efficiency losses and sequestration expenses). Rail transport reliability is a serious concern. Track problems often delay coal deliveries today, especially from the Powder River Basin. Relying more heavily on coal would heighten the possibility of supply disruption-related rate spikes and of utilities turning to dirtier coal supplies. The Northwest rail system is already strained; adding additional rail capacity will be costly.
