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2005 SESSION

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HB 1472 Clean Smokestack Act; created to reduce emissions, report.

Introduced by: John S. Reid | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Air emissions reductions. Establishes a schedule by which investor-owned public utilities that own or operate coal-fired generating units are required to reduce by specific amounts their emissions of oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and mercury. The utilities are to determine what technologies will be used to achieve the emission limits established by the bill. Any permit issued by the Air Pollution Control Board for a coal-fired generating unit, which is subject to this new law, will have to provide for testing, monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting to assure compliance with the reduction requirements. The bill also authorizes the Governor to enter into agreements with the utilities to transfer to the state any emissions allowance that may be acquired by the utilities under federal law. The Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission (SCC) are to report annually to the status of the emissions reduction and cost recovery efforts to the committees having jurisdiction over the subject matter. In addition, the Department of Environmental Quality is required to conduct an ongoing analysis of the issues related to the development and implementation of standards and plans to control carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired generating units. The Department is also to evaluate available control technologies and perform a cost-benefit analysis of alternative strategies to reduce emissions of CO2, and report its findings to the committees with jurisdiction over the subject matter. Finally, the bill authorizes the SCC to adjust the rate caps established by the Electric Utility Restructuring Act to account for the environmental compliance costs incurred by the utilities in carrying out the provisions of the Clean Smokestack Act.


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