Air Emissions

Since 1990, when the U.S. government passed amendments to the Clean Air Act, PPL has significantly reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, and has reduced the emission rates for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. These emissions come from generation of electricity using fossil fuels.

In 2006, PPL emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides decreased from the previous year. The reduction is a result of a decrease electricity generation due to milder weather in the eastern U.S., the sale of PPL’s ownership in the Griffith (Arizona) plant and planned and unplanned power plant outages.

Emission rates for carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides (in pounds per megawatt-hour generated) were about the same in 2006 as in 2005. The emission rate for sulfur dioxide increased in 2006 due to higher sulfur content of the coal used at PPL generating plants.

Carbon dioxide emissions decreased from 32.6 million tons in 2005 to 30.1 million tons in 2006.

Since 2001, PPL’s carbon dioxide emissions have increased by about 12 percent because of increased generation from fossil-fuel power plants.

PPL has adopted a climate change policy and is taking a variety of actions to address greenhouse gas emissions.

Sulfur dioxide emissions decreased from 283,250 tons in 2005 to 270,177 tons in 2006. The emissions rate increased from 9.6 pounds per megawatt-hour in 2005 to 10.3 pounds in 2006 due to higher sulfur content in the coal used at PPL generating plants.

Since 2001, PPL’s sulfur dioxide emissions have increased by about 27 percent because of increased generation output from fossil-fuel power plants and higher sulfur content in the coal burned. Since the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, PPL has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by about 30 percent.

PPL will realize significant reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions by the end of the decade with the completion of flue gas desulfurization (scrubber) systems on its five largest coal-fired generating units in Pennsylvania in 2008 and 2009, and the retirement of two other coal-fired generating units in Pennsylvania in 2007. These actions will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 220,000 tons per year.

Nitrogen oxides emissions decreased from 49,308 tons in 2005 to 44,834 tons in 2006. The emissions rate increased slightly from 1.68 pounds per megawatt-hour in 2005 to 1.71 pounds per megawatt-hour in 2006.

Since 2001, PPL's emissions of nitrogen oxides have decreased by about 3 percent. Since 1990, emissions have decreased by about 60 percent, due to the installation of NOx-reduction equipment on many of PPL’s coal-fired generating units. PPL is installing NOx-reduction equipment at the Colstrip plant in Montana that is expected to reduce emissions even further.

Mercury
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued Clean Air Act regulations that limit mercury emissions from coal-fired electric power plants. Several states including Pennsylvania and Montana where PPL owns and operates coal-fired power plants, also have adopted more-stringent state mercury emission regulations.

PPL supports mercury emission reductions from coal-fired power plants. PPL expects that it can achieve Pennsylvania’s 2010 first phase emission requirements with only the addition of chemical injection systems, because of the significant co-benefits in mercury reductions from the flue gas desulfurization equipment that PPL is installing at the Montour and Brunner Island plants in Pennsylvania. PPL currently estimates that the capital cost of chemical injection systems at its Pennsylvania plants will be approximately $20 million.

Because an emissions trading program is not allowed under Pennsylvania’s mercury rules, chemical addition systems may not be sufficient to achieve the phase two Pennsylvania emission levels. Therefore, beginning in 2015, advanced fabric filter systems may be needed at most of PPL’s Pennsylvania coal-fired power plants. Based on current industry estimates, PPL’s capital cost to comply with the phase 2 Pennsylvania rule would be approximately $530 million.

Montana’s mercury emission rules require coal-fired power plants to achieve by 2010 emissions reduction levels more stringent than EPA’s 2018 limit. Because chemical injection technology may not be sufficiently developed to meet the 2010 Montana rules, there is risk that PPL may need to install advanced fabric filter technology at both the Colstrip and Corette power plants. PPL estimates that its capital cost to comply with the Montana rule would be approximately $140 million.

Emissions Benchmarking
A study published in 2006 compared emissions from PPL generating plants with other major electric power generators in the United States (Benchmarking Air Emissions for the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States in 2004 – Ceres, NRDC and PSEG). The study listed companies from 1 (highest) to 100 (lowest). The table shows PPL's listing in the categories included.

 This page addresses the following GRI indicators: 2.18, 2.19, EN8 and EN10