Ohio Power Plant Converts from Coal to Biomass under Court Order

Under a recent federal court agreement, an Ohio utility will convert a large coal-fired power plant into one using primarily renewable biomass fuels, making it the largest such plant to do so.

Ohio Edison Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE), agreed to retrofit the two R.E. Burger units near Shadyside, Ohio for biomass fuel, as part of a 2005 federal consent decree following a lawsuit filed under the Clean Air Act. The decree requires Ohio Edison to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x) at several of its coal-fired plants. 

The company filed an amendment on August 11 saying it will replace the 312 megawatts (MW) of electricity now generated by coal with biomass by 2012, turning it into one of the largest U.S. biomass power facilities. Ohio Edison will repower Burger beginning in 2012 with mostly biomass fuels, including natural wood from waste tree trimmings and dedicated sustainable nurseries, agricultural crops, grasses and vegetation waste or products.  The revamped facility will also burn low-sulfur coal, but for no more than 20% of its power.

The modified consent decree will substantially reduce emissions of SO₂ and NO_x from Burger’s current levels and also reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from current levels by more than 1.3 million tons a year. Reductions from current levels of SO₂ emissions are expected to be as much as 14,000 tons a year and as much as 1,300 tons a year for NO_x. Burger will be the largest coal-fired electric utility plant in the country to repower with renewable biomass fuels and the first such plant at which greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced under a Clean Air Act consent decree.

The adverse effects on the environment of CO₂ emissions, particularly from coal-fired power plants, are well-documented. Last April, The Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) issued the "Proposed Endangerrment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act," which identified the dangers of the current and projected concentrations of the six key greenhouse gases, the most significant being carbon dioxide.

"This is a great result for the health and the environment of the nation," said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "We are pleased that Ohio Edison has chosen to significantly reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants from the Burger plant and hope that Ohio Edison will become the standard-bearer for other companies considering conversion to renewable biomass fuels under the auspices of the EPA and state environmental agencies."

"EPA will seek similar commitments from companies to replace coal-fired electric generation with cleaner, renewable energy in future Clean Air Act settlements," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance

A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice Web site.

Image courtesy of Ecoscraps