Combine New Gas Plants, Lower Gas Prices, And More Stringent Emission Controls And What Do You Get? Lower Emissions

ISO New England has just released its Electric Generator Air Emissions Report for 2011. The bottom line?

Total emissions of NOx, SO2, and CO2 have decreased by 12.1%, 29.5%, and 10.2% from 2010 to 2011 Emission rates for NOx, SO2, and CO2 have decreased by 8.7%, 25.8%, and 5.9% over the same time period As our observant readers will have inferred, ISO reports that total energy generation was down by 4.6% from 2010 to 2011. ISO attributes most of the emissions decrease to an increase in gas-fired generation and a corresponding decrease in coal- and oil-fired generation. According to the ISO, coal consumption fell from 6.2 million tons to 3.0 million tons from 2010 to 2011, and residual oil consumption feel from 1.5 million barrels to 0.7 million barrels over the same period.

Taking a longer time horizon, the emissions decreases are more substantial, though CO2 decreases are not as great as those for NOx and SO2.

Total emissions of NOx, SO2, and CO2 have decreased by 58%, 71%, and 11% from 2001 to 2011 Emission rates for...