SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




Proposed EPA Emission Rules Signal End of an Era for Coal-Fired Power

Renewable energy

Welcome to
Renewable energy

Renewable energy - Featured Article

May 25, 2011

Proposed EPA Emission Rules Signal End of an Era for Coal-Fired Power

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

Share

The approval of new rules for air pollution, water pollution, and waste disposal could result in the retirement of between 35 and 70 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power generation nationwide.

Speaking on May 24, the second day of the Eastern Coal Council’s annual conference in Kingsport, Tennessee, James Wood, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy, said that new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency mean a lot of coal-fired power plants will shut down soon—some of them, simply because it would not be feasible to find the materials and skilled labor to complete upgrades in time to meet tight EPA deadlines.


On March 16, the EPA proposed the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic, and other toxic air pollution from power plants. In the power sector alone, coal-fired power plants are responsible for 99 percent of mercury emissions, which have been shown to cause neurological damage, including lower IQ, in children exposed in the womb and during early development.

As reported by TriCities.com from the conference, Wood said the effects experienced where the plants are located could mirror those in Massachusetts, where Dominion announced on May 11 that it would close its Salem Harbor power plant. The owners of the coal- and oil-fired power plant said they would shutter the plant within three years because environmental regulations and facility upgrades make the plant too costly to operate.

Some Salem residents and officials bemoaned the loss of a business that pays more than $4 million in taxes each year and provides about 150 jobs. But environmentalists said it was a signal New England is moving toward cleaner energy.

“The Independent System Operator (ISO) of New England [the federally created organization that oversees the power grid in New England] said this threatens the reliability of New England, northeastern Massachusetts and the Boston power grid,” Wood said. “What also happened immediately is the mayor of Salem got on TV and said this will have a major impact on Salem [because] this is Salem’s largest taxpayer.”

The burden of the increasing costs that will result, he said, will be borne primarily by “the not so wealthy,” he said.

Lisa Moerner, director of Environmental Policy and Sustainability for Dominion, said that, although her company is shutting down some coal plants, it’s also bringing new plants online, including the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County in Southwest Virginia.

“Coal is a very important tool for Dominion,” she said. “It’s a very important part of our portfolio and will continue to be a very important part of our portfolio, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves: There are a lot of challenges for coal right now … and what we’re doing is making investments in coal right now to help us sustain coal as a fuel for the future.”

She said environmental controls, though expensive, can be added to some coal plants. For others it won’t make financial sense, so they’ll be closed or converted to something else. “We can’t overlook the fact that there are substantial regulatory risks related to coal, and we have to take that into account when we make our decision,” she said.

Glen Besa, director of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, said it will be a good thing for coal plants to close because the nation needs to transition to renewable energy. “A lot of these coal plants were built 50 or 60 years ago. [They] are really archaic … and, really, the main reason they’re operating to this day is … because they had been grandfathered into clean air protections,” he said. “All that the EPA is doing [is bringing] those coal plants up to current standards. So if they can’t meet those standards, then they’re going to have to take other action, and we think that action should be investments in efficiency and renewables.”

Besa said hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies paid to the coal industry could be taken away and spent to help diversify the coal region’s economy, including investments in the manufacturing of

“Certainly, in phasing in a clean energy economy over the next 20 years, we will address whatever challenges arise just like we addressed challenges in building up our industrial base based on coal,” he said. “There are always technological challenges in whatever direction you go and I’m confident that with American ingenuity we’ll address those challenges as they arise.”

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.




Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

View all Renewable energy Articles >>>

Renewable energy Related Articles









Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2024 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy