Power industry can meet ozone standards, study says

The EPA last fall directed 22 states in the eastern half of the U.S. to develop state implementation plans to reduce their regional power plant nitrogen oxide emissions by 85 percent

May 14, 1999
Web posted at: 12:15 PM EDT

Electric power plants in the eastern half of the U.S. can meet federal clean air requirements without compromising electric system reliability, according to a study released Tuesday by the Ozone Attainment Coalition.

The study contradicts industry claims that significantly reducing nitrogen oxide emissions of power plants in a 22-state region would impact the ability to meet summer demand for electricity.

"This analysis should put to rest the notion that meeting clean air obligations is incompatible with meeting service obligations," said Pete R. Landrieu, Public Service Electric and Gas Company vice president. Landrieu is also chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Area Council, the organization that coordinates electric system reliability standards and planning for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

The EPA last fall directed 22 states in the eastern half of the U.S. to develop plans to reduce their regional NOx emissions by 85 percent.

The states have been given nitrogen oxide budgets that they must meet by 2007. Each state affected by the rule must develop a plan to meet this budget by May 1, 2003.

NOx is a major contributor to the creation of ground-level ozone, a public health and environmental threat. Reducing NOx emissions will reduce smog, as well as problems with acid rain, contaminated water bodies, airborne particles and regional haze, says EPA.

Industries have proposed a 65 percent reduction instead of 85 percent, arguing that this will provide the air quality improvements necessary to enable most states in the eastern U.S. to meet EPA's one-hour and eight-hour ozone standards.

The Ozone Attainment Coalition study asserts that:

• installing emissions controls can be done during off-peak periods and regularly scheduled plant maintenance outages and rebuts industry claims that plants will have to be taken offline during the summer peak demand seasons,
• three years is enough time to plan and implement emissions reduction strategies and to overcome any potential system reliability impacts,
• EPA's rule is flexible enough to mitigate any potential impact on reliability, and provides for an emissions trading market that electric generators can access to buy credits necessary for compliance., and that
• the electric power industry has already demonstrated the ability to comply with environmental standards, as evidenced by the industry's performance in reducing sulfur dioxide emissions as part of the acid rain program.

For more information, contact Neil Brown, Public Service Electric and Gas Company, (973)430-6017

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