NYC Council seeks cut in power plant CO2 emissions
Date: 31-Jan-02
Country: USA
The legislation was originally introduced last year by former Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., Vallone's father, but did not pass before the council session expired.
If passed, the bill would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 20 percent within five years of enactment.
Under the terms of the legislation, owners of power plants that produce at least 25 megawatts of electricity for sale would be required to pay high fines for generators that emit levels of carbon dioxide that exceed those established by an independent board.
The bill would likely affect nearly 7,000 MW of generating capacity in the city. One megawatt is roughly enough electricity to power 1,000 average homes.
Noting that they already use the cleanest methods available to generate electricity, o???e city's biggest power producers, KeySpan Corp. and the New York Power Authority, said they were studying the proposal.
"We are already committed to using the best technology available to reduce emissions at all of our generating plants," Power Authority spokesman Jack Murphy told Reuters.
Officials at the council were not immediately available to discuss whether the city had jurisdiction over emissions or if that was a state issue.
Council member Vallone has long opposed the expansion of power plants unless such a plan is combined with retiring existing generators which, some experts argue, have contributed to high asthma rates and other respiratory problems, according to the statement.
"A bill that protects the health and environment in the city must be in place as new power plants are being built," Vallone said.
Since the deregulation of the state's electricity market, energy companies have proposed to build more than 50 new facilities, totaling more than 24,000 MW of generating capacity.
"With these fines, it won't be in the best interest of power plants to continue relying on the older, more polluting facilities," Vallone explained.
"In effect, we're making it unprofitable to pollute."