The Amazing Power Of TXU - 11 New Coal Plants Will Cut Emissions 20%

[hatrack]

TXU Corp's repeated claim that its 11 new coal plants will reduce air pollution emissions 20 percent is not relevant in terms of Dallas-Fort Worth's summer smog problem, a consultant says. Environ, a consulting company hired by both TXU and the state's regulatory agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, made the distinction at a clean-air meeting Friday.

Dallas-based TXU (NYSE: TXU) has cited the 20 percent reduction numerous times, attempting to ease regional worries about pollution from its proposed coal-fired power plants.

The 20 percent figure, however, refers to a reduction from TXU's annual 2005 emissions, according to Gregg Yarwood, with Environ. But the summer ozone season is when D-FW must clean up smog-producing nitrogen oxides, he noted. "We're speaking of the summer ozone season. It's a mistake to look for a 20% reduction in episodic emissions," Yarwood said. "They are really not comparable." In addition, the 20 percent reduction from 2005 doesn't consider that plants are sometimes down for maintenance, mothballed and taken out of use, Yarwood added.

EDIT

In a presentation that was generally supportive of TXU's reduction efforts, Yarwood said some limited data shows the coal plants won't add NOx to D-FW under certain circumstances. That includes when the wind is blowing from the Northeast, and when the plants aren't operating at the full capacity allowed on the air permits TXU seeks. Also, members of the committee pointed out that the technical report didn't look at other pollutants, such as sulfur, mercury and global warming gasses the plants will emit. TXU officials who were present at the meeting did not refute the statements.

EDIT

http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2006/08/07/daily54.html?jst=b_ln_hl

[Dogmudgeon]

1. That's still only 20% of "extremely dirty"

The output remains 80% filthy.

Even modern coal-fired generators are horrendously polluting.

In order to use coal effectively, we need a radically different method for burning it, preferably after filtering out the heavy and radioactive metals, if that's possible. This means increased costs, which the energy industry won't tolerate.

If, by some miracle, they DO tolerate increased costs, they will pass them on directly, and perhaps tack on a little extra for their trouble. (I think loansharks call it "vigorish".) The price of energy will increase dramatically, but it is likely to increase dramatically anyway. This will lead to an economic decline, and possibly (probably) a collapse.

--p!