Utility Industry
The electric utility industry has made huge investments in technology to reduce environmental impacts and improve air quality, and will continue to do so.

• America's electric utility industry has invested tens of billions of dollars in advanced technologies to improve the quality of the air over the past 30 years. In addition, each year electric utilities also spend between $1.3 and $3.3 billion on environmental practices (e.g., operation and maintenance). While this figure includes spending on all types of pollution controls, a significant portion is related to air emissions.

  Source: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Form 1 Database

Electric utilities use approximately 75 individual technologies to eliminate or control water, air and solid waste pollution from coal-based power plants and coal mining facilities.

• Alarms alert operators that adjustments need to be made to remain within permit limits.
  
  
• Electrostatic precipitators remove 99.8% of fine particulate fly ash before it leaves the stack.
  
  
• Scrubbers remove SO2 from flue gas by injecting lime or limestone and water slurry to remove the sulfur.
  
  
• Combustion control systems reduce NOX by lowering flame temperatures in boilers. Low NOX burner technology has been installed or is being installed on 75% of the U.S. power plants that use coal. This technology helps over 750 units comply with stricter 1996 and 2000 Clean Air Act NOX emission requirements. Today, nearly $1.5 billion worth of this technology has been sold.

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy Fossil Energy web site

  
  
• Advanced control equipment performs the same function as scrubbers for NOX.
  
  
• A new generation of advanced coal-based power systems that represent a quantum leap forward in efficiency and environmental performance are now commercially available. Some 170 fluidized-bed combustion units are operating in the U.S. and more than 400 operate worldwide. Over 1,500 megawatts of capacity is in operation from Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle units and more is expected soon.

  Source: Southern Company

  
  
• Also, coal-based utilities are using cleaner coal from the outset, which produces lower SO2 emissions.

Electric companies are demonstrating technologies that will result in even lower emissions while improving the efficiency of coal use.

• The Power Systems Development Facility in Wilsonville, Alabama is evaluating methods to advance both Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle and Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion technologies beyond the first generation. This joint utility industry, coal industry and government project will provide the information and experience needed to build commercial-scale plants.
  
  
• Technology advances have immense potential impact on the climate change debate. Improved operating efficiencies of new power generation technologies are 30% to 40% higher than a conventional power plant that uses coal, resulting in a nearly equal reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy Fossil Energy Techline, May 8, 2000

  
  
• As we start to build new coal-based power plants, many are likely to be Integrated Combined Cycle (IGCC) technologies, which result in even greater generation efficiency, further reducing emissions. Plants with the ICGG technology are now operating in Tampa, FL and Terra Haute, IN, and plans have recently been announced to build a 1,500 megawatt plant in Alabama.