Energy Center-Electric Utility Information Sheets

MoDNR Topics

Electric Utility Information Sheets

Fossil-Fired Power Plants

Introduction

These utility information sheets provide basic information to Missouri utility customers about the energy sources used to generate their electricity and emissions associated with these sources. This information is not readily available elsewhere to Missouri utility customers.

The information provided here is similar to "environmental disclosure" statements that appear on customer utility bills in some other states. A summary of state "environmental disclosure" policies can be found at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/resources/maps/disclosure_map.shtml.

Three kinds of Electric Utility Information Sheets are provided here:

1. Utility information sheets

Utility information sheets are provided for the 12 utilities that operate large fossil-fired power plants in Missouri. The utility disclosure sheet tells you, on a system-wide basis, the mix of fuels that the utility used to generate electricity in 2000 and the amount of air pollution that resulted.

Fuel mix: Most of these utilities operate several power plants. The information sheet tells you the utility's mix of fuel sources, taking into account all the utility's plants. All sources are reported. These include renewable sources such as biomass and hydroelectric generation as well as non-renewable sources such as nuclear and fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).

Air Emissions: Utility-wide information is provided for three air pollutants: carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

Data sources: The data presented here is drawn from the Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) published in April 2003 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Office of Atmospheric Programs. The eGrid database tracks utility data on a system-wide basis. Data is for the 2000 calendar year.

System-wide basis: The data includes all power plants operated by the utility, including those located outside Missouri.

In addition to owning and operating power plants, most of the utilities listed here purchase power from other utilities or independent power producers. This "purchased power" is part of the mix that Missouri utilities deliver to their customers. However, data on the fuel sources and pollution from this purchased power is not available.

2. Power plant information sheets

Power plant information sheets are provided for the 29 fossil-fired plants in Missouri that generated at least 20 thousand megawatthours (MWh) in 2000. Each 20 thousand MWh generated is enough to meet the annual electricity requirements of about 1700 "average" homes in the state. The power plant information sheet tells you, on a plant-wide basis, the mix of fuels used by this specific plant to generate electricity and the amount of air and toxic pollution that resulted.

Fuel mix: As with utilities, all sources are reported.

Pollutants: As with utilities, information is provided for three air pollutants: CO2, NOx and SO2. Additional data on mercury emissions and toxic releases to air, land and water is provided for plants that reported them to EPA.

Data sources: Toxic release data is drawn from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2001 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). All other data is drawn from U.S. EPA's eGRID database.

3. Power plant comparison charts.

Ten bar charts are provided. Two compare plant capacity and annual power generation for the 29 fossil-fired plants in Missouri that generated at least 20 thousand megawatthours (MWh) in 2000. The other charts compare pollutants from these plants. Several of the charts for specific pollutants show fewer than 29 plants because only plants that reported data for a pollutant are included.

The data presented in these charts is drawn from U.S. EPA's eGRID database.