Posted: August 10, 2011 - 3:04pmPhotos Back | Next

Plant McIntosh near Rincon is one of several Georgia Power plants that may switch from coal-burning to natural gas as part of pending federal air pollution regulations. (Courtesy of Georgia Power)
Back | Next Plant Kraft in Port Wentworth may become a natural gas plant instead of coal-burning under plans by Georgia Power to meet new federal air pollution regulations. (Courtesy of Georgia Power)
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By DeAnn Komanecky Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Proposed federal regulations covering air emissions, water intake and waste management could cause a local fuel change at two area power plants — and an increase in power costs, Georgia Power officials said last week.

A switch from coal to natural gas could be made at both Plant McIntosh near Rincon and Plant Kraft in Port Wentworth based on the pending tougher pollution standards.

Georgia Power officials are waiting on finalization of the regulations before making a decision on the plants.

The standards will go into effect in November.

“While the company is still evaluating the potential of environmental permitting implications of the use of natural gas as the primary fuel, it is expected that operation of natural gas with oil back up at Plant McIntosh is an economic and feasible alternative starting in the summer of 2015,” according to the plan filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations have the greatest impact on coal and oil-fired plants and would significantly increase the cost of electric power generation, Georgia Power officials said.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty facing our business in both the near and long term,” said Greg Roberts, Georgia Power’s vice president of pricing and planning. “The complete effect of a host of new federal environmental regulations is still being assessed, but Georgia Power’s actions are a necessary and preliminary part of responding to the negative economic and reliability challenges created by new and proposed federal regulations.”

In the PSC report, filed Aug. 4 that outlines how Georgia Power will move forward based on the pollution standards, the company is asking for approval to purchase natural gas from outside sources, close some coal-burning units at various plants and shut down a plant in Albany.

The proposed EPA regulation requires reduced emissions of heavy metals, including mercury.

According to documents from the EPA, coal-fired power plants are responsible for 99 percent of mercury emissions.

The EPA states that exposure to mercury comes to people primarily from eating contaminated fish and is of particular concern to women of childbearing age, unborn babies and young children.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper spokeswoman Dianna Wedincamp said the EPA regulations could be good news for Georgia’s rivers.

“Over 90 percent of the mercury found in fish is from coal-fired power plants,” Wedincamp said. “It will certainly improve the health of our fish.”

Other power plant emissions, such as arsenic, chromium and nickel are also listed as items that can cause cancer.

All power plants will have to lower their toxic emissions and will have four years to meet the new standards.

Georgia Power is a subsidiary of Southern Company and serves 2.4 million customers.


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