Environmental and Emissions Control Achievements
We manage a varying portfolio of about 50 environmental, emissions-control, and renewable energy research projects. These efforts include pilot-scale developmental work as well as full-scale demonstrations of pre-commercial technology. Our researchers, partners, and engineers have:
- Developed a coal gasification process for lower-rank coals.
- Designed and built the industry's first integrated Mercury Research Center to test new mercury control options.
- Improved cooling tower fill efficiency, improving plant performance and reliability.
- Developed and are implementing a project to co-burn switchgrass, a renewable fuel, to lower emissions and increase fuel diversity.
- Studied offshore wind power generation.
- Built a pilot-scale combustor that can evaluate how variations in fuel, combustion, and hardware will reduce emissions.
- Designed and built a pilot selective catalytic NOx reduction facility to test emission controls for Powder River Basin and high sulfur coals.
- Applied the first fine particulate agglomerator to increase fly ash collection by an existing electrostatic precipitator.
Air
Nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and mercury emissions from power plants are monitored and regulated by federal, state, and in some cases, local agencies. Southern Company annually reports the amount of emissions from its power plants to the EPA, the Department of Energy, and state agencies as required.
Since 1990, emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide have declined by 33 percent while generation has increased by 37 percent. Additional reductions are planned over the next decade. Mercury emissions will also drop as new technologies are implemented.
The EPA has recently finalized requirements to further reduce SO2 and NOx emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Interstate Rule. Another new EPA program, the Clean Air Mercury Rule, will reduce mercury emissions from coal-fueled power plants. Installation of control devices now in progress will reduce SO2, NOx, and mercury emissions by about 70 percent from today's levels while the demand for electricity in the Southeast is projected to grow by more than 30 percent through 2018.
Installation of control devices now in progress will reduce SO2, NOx, and mercury emissions by about 70 percent from today's levels.
SCRs remove nitrogen oxides from emissions at Plant Bowen, near Cartersville, Ga.