Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. has reduced air emissions from its power plants for the last several years and plans to continue those reductions.
"As a large supplier of electric power, PP&L does generate emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide," said Lynn Ratzell, PP&L's Environmental Management Division manager. "There is a direct correlation between the amount of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, that are burned and the production of those emissions. That's why we have worked hard to reduce our emissions during the last several years and will reduce them even further by the year 2000."
The Natural Resources Defense Council released a report Thursday (4/24) ranking electric utilities in the eastern United States by total emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide. PP&L ranked second in the rate of sulfur dioxide emitted from its fossil-fired plants, twenty-ninth in the rate of nitrogen oxide and thirteenth in the rate of carbon dioxide emissions.
The report is based on 1995 data. The data came from information reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by the electric utilities as part of Clean Air Act requirements.
"Considering that we are a large coal-burning utility in the eastern United States, our overall rankings are where we would expect to be," Ratzell said. "The rankings, however, don't tell the story of how we've reduced our emissions."
In the last few years, PP&L has cut its emissions of nitrogen oxide by about 40 percent and has reduced its sulfur dioxide emissions by about 15 percent.
"We have spent about $190 million recently on pollution control equipment to reduce air emissions," Ratzell said. "That equipment reduced our nitrogen oxide emissions to levels below other electric utilities that burn significantly less fossil fuels than PP&L.
"We've only taken the first steps to reduce emissions. We are working toward additional reductions."
The company intends to spend another $230 million for additional sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions controls starting in 1999, Ratzell said.
By 1999, PP&L will reduce its total nitrogen oxide emissions by about 55 percent from 1990 levels. PP&L is committed to reduce its total emissions of sulfur dioxide in the year 2000 by about 45 percent from 1990 levels to meet Clean Air Act requirements.
"We realize there is room for improvement, and PP&L is committed to environmental responsibility," Ratzell said. "We have made great strides and intend to reduce emissions even further. Our reduction of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by the year 2000 will represent our most substantial emissions reductions in the history of the company."
As part of its strategy to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, PP&L is burning low-sulfur coal at company power plants. PP&L will burn even more low-sulfur coal to reduce emissions further by 2000.
In addition to installing pollution control equipment and burning lower sulfur coal, during the last several years, PP&L has converted its oil-burning units at the Martins Creek power plant to also burn natural gas, which is cleaner than coal and oil. Also, the company increased the power output of its Susquehanna nuclear power plant.
"By producing more electricity through nuclear power or the burning of natural gas, we can limit emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide," Ratzell said.
PP&L owns and operates five fossil-fuel burning power plants in central and eastern Pennsylvania. In addition, the company operates the Susquehanna nuclear power plant and two hydroelectric plants.