Vistra stated on July 19 that it will close its 1.3 GW Zimmer coal-fired power plant in Ohio on May 31, 2022, five years earlier than previously announced because the plant failed to clear the PJM capacity market.

"Due to configuration, cost and performance, Zimmer coal-fired power plants have recently been in financial difficulties," said Vistra CEO Curt Morgan. "PJM capacity revenue is very important to Zimmer. Unfortunately, without them, the plant is fundamentally Can’t make money.” According to the data, the 30-year-old Zimmer plant has a capacity coefficient of less than 48% in 2020, and operating and maintenance costs are less than US$28/MWh. The 30-year-old Zimmer factory is located in Clermont County, Ohio, and can use PJM's AEP-Dayton Hub price as a pricing benchmark. According to the S&P Global Platts price database, as of 2021, the marginal price of the region’s day-ahead peak area averages US$33.80/MWh, but the average price for the whole year of 2020 is approximately US$23.25/ Megawatt hours.

Keywords: International Engineering News

In June 2021, the auction price of PJM's 2022-2023 capacity market was US$50/MW-day, the lowest level on record and lower than the last auction completed in 2018 of US$140/MW-day. The Supervisory Commission’s minimum bid rules for PJM delayed the auction for three years. Vistra stated that this year's capacity auction results are about half of the auction results for Zimmer coal power plant related areas in 2021-2022.Editor/Baohongying