
Gwendolyn Reed
Communications Intern
EPA action could force plants to clean up or shut down
Communications Intern
Executive Director, Environment Texas Research & Policy Center
Eighty-five percent of Texas’ coal-burning plants lack at least one modern pollution control, according to a May Sierra Club report. Coal plants contribute to the deaths of hundreds of Texans each year, but pending proposals by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could force the companies that run these facilities to either install pollution controls or shut down the plants.
Texas is by far the largest consumer of coal in the nation. Out of the 10 dirtiest power plants in the nation, three of them– NRG’s W.A. Parish and Luminant’s Martin Lake and Oak Grove plants – are located in Texas.
Coal plant pollution takes a big toll on our health and environment. An estimated 303 Texans have their lives cut short due to exposure from soot pollution from coal plants every year. Soot also contributes to haze in our national parks, marring scenic vistas and further harming health. State officials warn against eating fish from more than two dozen waterways in Texas because of mercury contamination (which comes in part from coal plants).
Photo by Gwendolyn Reed | TPIN
Source: Clear Air Task Force interactive map
While Texas once had 20 coal power plants, the poor economics of coal (fueled by the low cost of renewables and methane gas) and community organizing have led facility owners to retire seven plants in the last five years. Another five plan to shut down or switch to methane gas* in the coming years. However the remaining eight power plants have no plans to retire and 6 of those are missing some or all of three critical pollution control technologies.
*Switching to gas as a fuel source should result in less smog and soot pollution, but because of methane leaks in gas production and distribution, it’s less clear there is a climate benefit.
Pollution controls, when consistently operated, can considerably reduce the level of emissions from coal combustion. Technologies include flue-gas desulfurization (FGD), also known as “scrubbers,” to control sulfur dioxide (SO2); selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to control nitrogen oxide (NOx), and a baghouse (BH) to control direct particular matter (PM2.5) emissions. Unfortunately, only 5 of the 28 units at Texas coal plants today utilize all three of these technologies, and some units have none of them. It’s estimated that units lacking controls are up to three times as deadly as those that utilize them.
However, the EPA is currently considering the following rules which could require power plants to install pollution controls:
The proposed “Good Neighbor” plan to reduce smog would have also required pollution controls, but the Texas Attorney General’s office sued and won a stay on implementation of the rule in Texas.
Power companies will need to decide whether to invest in pollution controls or just retire their emissions-spewing facilities. With the boom in solar and wind energy and battery storage in Texas, we have abundant clean energy technologies to replace them and power the state.
Strong implementation of these rules provides an opportunity to effectively mitigate the pollution spewing onto our planet and people, bringing cleaner air to Texas and beyond.
Photo by Sierra Club | TPIN
Source: Sierra Club
Communications Intern
As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate. Luke recently led the successful campaign to get the Texas Legislature and voters to invest $1 billion to buy land for new state parks. He also helped win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; helped compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at four Texas refineries and chemical plants; and got the Austin and Houston school districts to install filters on water fountains to protect children from lead in drinking water. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside and received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks. He is a board member of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas and an advisory board member of the Texas Tech University Masters of Public Administration program. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.