October 1, 2011

New EPA Rule Calls for Flexibility

By Dr. Robert Peltier, PE

Quin Shea, vice president, environment for the Edison Electric Institute, comments on the Utility MACT rule that is expected to be finalized in November.

The short-fused deadlines, extent of coverage, and complexity of new air emissions regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been cited by several utilities as the reason for recently announced plant closures. Here’s how the Edison Electric Institute’s environmental point man sees the situation.

Which new air emission rule is the utility industry most concerned about?

Shea: The electric power industry values a healthy environment. Every year, electric companies comply with hundreds of federal and state environmental laws and regulations. They spend billions of dollars on environmental measures and operational controls to protect human health and the environment. At the same time, the industry takes great pride in its capability to meet the nation’s ever-growing demand for electricity in a reliable and affordable manner.

Maintaining this balance between protecting the environment and keeping the lights on is the main job for every electric company. In that vein, it is very important that our industry and the EPA work closely together on the range of rules that the EPA is promulgating for utilities.

Because of the proposed Utility MACT rule’s complexity and timing, we are urging the EPA to give electric utilities greater flexibility in implementing it. Greater flexibility will help to achieve the desired results. And it will do so without raising compliance costs or compromising electric system reliability.