A gas-fired power plant draws 3 ft/sec (cfs) of single-pass cooling water from a small stream with an average flow rate of 10 cfs and average temperature of 60°F. The

water temperature increases to 100°F after it cools the combustion chamber. Assume a natural gas heat value of 21,000 Btu/lb and water specific heat of 1.00 Btu/lb-°F. a) Assume all waste heat is absorbed by cooling water and estimate rated electricity output in megawatts (MW) if plant efficiency is 40% b) Estimate reduction in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCE) emissions if all gas-fired electricity is replaced with renewable power (i.e. solar and wind) c) Discuss challenges of large-scale transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources