Environmental

  • Burns & McDonnell Sees U.S. Market in Transition While Asian Market Grows

    The U.S. power generation market is experiencing a unique set of transitional drivers, the biggest being the current economics within the energy market. U.S. Market Drivers A significant portion of the U.S

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  • Fracking May Cut Total Water Use From Increase in Gas-Fired Power

    Those enormous amounts of water used in hydraulic fracturing may not be the environmental headache they appear to be. That’s because of the downstream effects of more abundant, less expensive natural gas unlocked by the process, known as “fracking,” according to a new study from the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at the University of […]

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  • Eight States Petition EPA to Force Upwind States to Curb Pollution

    As the Supreme Court heard arguments on the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), eight Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force nine “upwind” states to slash their emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to the formation of ozone to the north and east. EPA […]

  • NRG to Deactivate Five Md. Coal Units On State Environmental Rule Concerns

    NRG Energy could deactivate five units at two coal-fired power plants in Maryland because new regulations proposed by the state to curb emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) will require pollution controls that cannot be economically justified, the New Jersey–based company said.  NRG last week notified regional grid operator PJM Interconnection that […]

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  • Look to RGGI for GHG-Curbing Model, States Urge EPA

    Nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states on Monday urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to model state programs to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the market-based cap-and-trade regulatory program in which the states participate.  The EPA should recognize the RGGI model as an “effective system” of emission […]

  • Defining the Future: Time to Get Real

    Christoph Frei The global energy environment is increasing in complexity and uncertainty. We are in a much more challenging world than previously envisaged. The World Energy Council’s (WEC) analysis has

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  • Alqueva II Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant, Alqueva, Portugal

    Owner/operator: Energias de PortugalCourtesy: Alstom Sunny Portugal enjoys a climate much like that of Southern California and likewise has considerable wind resources. Unlike California, Portugal has

  • Optimized SCR Catalysts Maximize Mercury Removal Co-Benefits

    The new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) have given coal-fired power plant owners a short time to bring their plants into compliance with rules that require significantly less mercury (Hg) in stack

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  • Fighting Bovine Flatulence

    Cows get little respect these days. Except, of course, when cow is in the form of a two-inch-thick steak cooked medium-well and served still sizzling from the grill. Others prefer their beef served in a sack passed through a window. Either way, your favorite serving of beef is under attack. First came the revelation that […]

  • EPA Releases Draft Strategy Plan For Next Four Years

    Addressing climate change and improving air quality will be among the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) foremost objectives over the next four years, a draft strategic plan recently released by the federal agency shows. The 86-page Draft FY 2014-2018 EPA Strategic Plan was released for public review and comment on Nov. 19 as part of a […]

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