US lawmakers want Mexico power plants to cut pollution
Date: 07-Jun-02
Country: USA
Author: Tom Doggett
The legislation, introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House this week, would make sure that Mexican power plants sending electricity to the California market don't spew harmful emissions that are restricted at U.S. plants.
"It is not unreasonable to ensure that companies making money in the California energy market meet strict environmental standards," said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, co-sponsor of the bill. "This measure will protect those living along the California-Mexico border from harmful power plant emissions," she said.
The legislation applies only to natural gas-powered generators within 50 miles of the border, that produce more than 50 megawatts of energy and that went online after January 1 of this year.
Natural gas exports from the United States would be prohibited for use in the Mexican plants unless the generators meet regional U.S. air emissions standards.
Two new plants are planned for Mexicali, Mexico - a city located across the border from Imperial County, California.
One of the plants being built by Sempra Energy will have pollution-fighting technology, but the other plant to be built by InterGen Energy will not, according to Feinstein. Intergen is a joint venture of Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Bechtel Enterprises.
On June 4, Feinstein wrote to InterGen executives to urge them to comply with California air emissions standards.
An Intergen spokeswoman said two of the four generating units at the power plant will sell electricity to California and will comply with the state clean air rules.
The plant's other two units will sell power to Mexican customers and will comply with weaker World Bank and Mexican environmental standards.
The spokeswoman admitted that emissions from the Mexican-dedicated units could drift into the United States.
However, power plants that are fueled by natural gas are much cleaner and produce less emissions that coal-burning generating facilities.