Home Publisher's Point of View You’re Likely Connected to America’s Dirtiest Power Plants

You’re Likely Connected to America’s Dirtiest Power Plants

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Environment America recently released its report on America’s Dirtiest Power Plants. It is important reading because it is likely that your property’s electricity is generated by one of them. You can help address the problem by reducing your property’s draw of electricity and by pressuring your utility company to clean up their plants and transition to cleaner, renewable energy technologies.

According to the report, power plants are the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States, responsible for 41 percent of the nation’s production of carbon dioxide pollution, the leading greenhouse gas driving global warming. The 50 most-polluting U.S. power plants emit more than 2 percent of the world’s energy-related carbon dioxide pollution—or more pollution than every nation except six worldwide.
 
There are nearly 6,000 electricity generating facilities in the United States, but most of the global warming pollution emitted by the U.S. power sector comes from a handful of exceptionally dirty power plants—almost all of which burn coal. For example, about 30 percent of all power-sector carbon dioxide emissions in 2011 came from the 50 dirtiest power plants; about half came from the 100 dirtiest plants; and about 90 percent came from the 500 dirtiest plants.

No. 1 Plant in Georgia

Is one of the dirtiest power plants close to you? You will have to visit page 28 of the report to see the entire list but the dirtiest plant is Georgia Power Company’s Scherer plant in Juliette, Ga. It pumped out 21.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011. Alabama Power Company’s James H. Miller Jr. plant, located along the Black Warrior River near West Jefferson, Ala., is No. 2 on the list with 20.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted. My state of Ohio has six plants on the list.

Why are coal fired plants so dirty and inefficient? About 74 percent of U.S. coal plants were at least 30 years old at the end of 2012, and about half were 40 to 60 years old.

Believe what you will about the impact of carbon dioxide on the planet. What there is no doubt about is the pollution that is also spewed from aging coal-fired power plants. According to the National Emissions Inventory prepared by EPA, coal-fired power plants emit 84 of the 187 hazardous air pollutants identified as posing a threat to human health and the environment. The plants are the largest point source category of hydrochloric acid, mercury, and arsenic releases to air. Particulates in the air especially impact our children and the elderly.

As you invest in more energy efficient products—in lighting, heating and cooling, laundry, kitchen, etc.—keep in mind where your electricity comes from. The investments we make can have a significant impact on the amount of coal that needs to be burned and mined.

Got comments? I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (216) 848-1406.

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