Power Plant NOx Controls Legislative Report

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Power Plant NOx Controls Legislative Report

• Public Consultation Meeting
• 930 a.m. - 1100 a.m.

Cal/EPA Headquarters Building Training Room
1 Sacramento, California December 12, 2003
California Environmental Protection Agency
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
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Purpose of Todays Meeting

• Provide brief summary of the Legislative request
  for this report
• Discuss ARBs proposed approach
• Identify data needs and solicit input
• Discuss the report schedule
• Relay how to get more information

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Background

• Report requirement not due to passage of bill
• Requested by Senate Budget Fiscal Review
  Subcommittee during hearing on ARB budget
• Legislative directive for report included in
  Supplemental Report of the 2003 Budget Act
  2003-04 Fiscal Year (http//www.lao.ca.gov/2003/s
  upp_report/supp_rpt_2003_budget_act.pdf)

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Legislative Directive

• Power Plant Emission Control Systems. On or
  before March 1, 2004, the Air Resources Board
  shall report to the Legislature and the Governor
  on the benefits, detriments, and advisability of
  using technologies that reduce or eliminate NOx
  emissions from gas-fired power plants and that do
  not use or produce toxic or hazardous materials
  or create other significant adverse environmental
  impacts. This report shall be prepared in
  consultation with the appropriate policy and
  fiscal committees of the Legislature, air
  districts, and the public.

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Use Of The Report

• Report intended to be an informational document -
  describe available NOx control technologies and
  the advantages and disadvantages of using each
• Not a guidance document
• ARB will not make specific control technology
  recommendations
• Not a mechanism for revising ARBs recommended
  BACT emission levels

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Applicability

• Gas-fired power plants proposed to be included in
  report
• Units using natural gas as fuel
• New installations
• Plants with production capacities of 50 MW and
  greater
• Focus on gas turbines, both simple- and
  combined-cycle / cogeneration configurations

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Primary Report Elements

• NOx control technology description (SCONOx, SCR,
  XONON, DLN)
• Emission performance - permitted and actual
  emissions demonstrated
• Control technology costs
• Collateral environmental impacts, to include
• Ammonia slip, secondary PM formation
• Ammonia releases/transport
• Spent catalyst waste
• Wastewater disposal
• Performance losses (e.g., parasitic load, fuel
  penalty)

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Report Starting Points

• ARB Guidance for Power Plant Siting and Best
  Available Control Technology (September 1999)
• ARB power plant database
• Site visits
• NOx control technology vendor survey
• Power plant operator phone survey
• CEC power plant siting documents

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Additional Data Needs

• Input on environmental impacts not already
  identified
• Additional reference documents (e.g., studies,
  white papers, etc.)
• Testimonials from power plant operators/others on
  field experiences
• Permits and source test summaries of units
  installed and meeting BACT levels
• Meetings with individual stakeholders

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Tentative Report Schedule

• Public Consultation Meeting December 12, 2003
• Return of surveys/data December 29, 2003
• Data collection and analysis Dec 2003/Jan 2004
• Meetings with interested parties Dec 2003/Jan
  2004
• Public notice/distribute Draft January 21, 2004
• Report
• Public comment period ends February 4, 2004
• Final Report to Governor and March 1, 2004
• Legislature

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For More Information

• Web Site (includes a list serve)
  http//www.arb.ca.gov/energy/noxlegrpt.htm
• Written Comments (mail or e-mail)
• Stephanie Kato, Air Resources Engineer
• California Air Resources Board
• P.O. Box 2815
• Sacramento, California 95812
• skato_at_arb.ca.gov
• Questions (call or e-mail)
• Technical issues Stephanie Kato [phone]
  or skato_at_arb.ca.gov
• Policy issues Beverly Werner, Manager,
  Regulatory Assistance
• Section, [phone] or bwerner_at_arb.ca.gov