Page 16 North Morrow Times August 6, 2010
Do you know the story on the PGE Coal Fired Plant? Press release from the website:http://www.portlandgeneral.com/ community_environment/initiatives/boardman_plant_air_emissions.aspx
About the Boardman Plant The Boardman Power Plant is a 585-megawatt coal-fired electricity generating plant in northeastern Oregon. It is one of PGE’s most costeffective sources of power, producing electricity at a variable cost of about one-third to one-half the wholesale market price. Boardman provides about 15 percent of the power PGE delivers to its customers, making it a key resource in meeting Oregonians’ current and future energy needs. Air emissions proposal PGE submitted its most recent Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the Oregon Public Utility Commission on Nov. 5, 2009. In that plan, the utility recommended installation of extensive emissions control retrofits on the Boardman Plant, at an estimated cost of $520 million to $560 million. These controls would allow continued operation of the plant in compliance with new rules from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. In January, 2010, PGE announced that after further analysis and discussions with stakeholders and regulators it intended to pursue an alternative operating plan for Boardman. Under this plan, PGE would install certain additional emissions controls and make operational changes to further reduce emissions, but then cease operations in 2020. The company did not include a proposal in its IRP to cease Boardman operations in 2020 because such a plan would not be actionable under the current DEQ
rules; however, further analysis has shown that a 2020 alternative would provide a better balance of cost and risk for PGE customers, and discussion with environmental regulators and other stakeholders suggests that there may be support for a rule change that would make it possible to implement the plan. So, on April 2, PGE submitted a proposal to the DEQ asking for rule revisions that would allow us to meet environmental standards related to haze-causing emissions by closing the Boardman plant in 2020. As part of the proposal, PGE would switch to a lower sulfur coal to reduce allowed sulfur dioxide emissions 50 percent by 2014 and install new burners to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 50 percent by 2011. Under separate DEQ rules, PGE has already agreed to install controls in 2011 to reduce mercury emissions from the plant by 90 percent — one of the most stringent standards in the nation. We followed up on April 9 by filing an addendum to our Integrated Resource Plan requesting OPUC acknowledgement of a 2020 closure date contingent on DEQ approval of revised rules. If agreement on an alternative plan can’t be reached or other regulatory hurdles make it impossible to implement the plan, PGE will continue to seek approval for installation of all emissions controls presently required and continued operation of the plant — the best option available to customers without changes to current rules.
Chamber press release supports PGE Support a reasonable plan – keep the Boardman Power Plant running until 2020. We need your help, some things that you can get involved with are: Send a card – Ask for a free postcard and tell the Department of Environmental Quality how you support a reasonable plan to keep the Boardman Plant running until 2020. Post cards are available at the Boardman Chamber and at the Boardman City Hall. Go to the meeting – Be in atten-
dance at the Port of Morrow Riverfront Center on August 16 at 6:30 pm. Let the Oregon Public Utility Commission hear your opinion on plans for the Boardman Plant. Tell your neighbors – The future of the Boardman Plant will affect the future of our community. By getting involved and telling your neighbors, you can make a difference. If you would like more information on the coal-fired plant contact Diane at the Chamber, 481-3014