Short-term Fixes Often Trump Major Component Replacements

摘要

Despite a sagging economy and lowered electric demand, the power must stay on. That means repairs and upgrades to fossil power generation fleet continue. Some are small and intended to meet short-term needs. "It's a like having 40,000 miles on your tires and you get a hole in one of them," said Mark Low, vice president of service projects for Babcock 8c Wilcox PGG. "Instead of getting a new set, power plant owners are just replacing the tire with the hole in it. They are spending for today rather than the future-waiting for things to get better."