FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER       

                                                                                                                    February  2002
                                                                                                                          No. 286

Utility Views on Future Controls

Frank Austin of Stone & Webster Consultants presented some of the views Stone & Webster has heard from owners of over 100 electric generating plants in the United States regarding future SO₂ and PM controls. Few owners want to rely on the “wait and see” approach. The consensus is that it is generally too late to properly prepare for federally mandated air pollution control programs by the time they are promulgated in State Implementation Plants (SIPs).

In regard to Regional Haze rules, several coal-fired system owners believe these rules will force FGD of some type at some plants during the period from 2011-15 depending on the proximity to Class I areas (national parks, wilderness areas, etc.). For PM_2.5, the owners feel regulations are too far away to consider. In regard to Mercury, some coal plant owners project expenditures for carbon injection systems for the period from 2007-10. None are planning on high cost retrofit systems such as FGD, and most feel that definitive regulations by 2005 are unlikely. 

From the perspective of most coal plant owners, the important issue in multipollutant legislation is whether FGD retrofits will be required and when. For some existing coal plants planning a future FGD or lime spray dry (LSD) retrofit, the multipollutant regulatory approach may make little difference. The incremental cost of planning a 90 percent FGD rather than an 80 percent FGD or LSD is a secondary consideration. However, for those with little liability on Regional Haze or with low mercury content coal, the viability and timing of multipollutant legislation and regulations may be critical.

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