Environment Sector 2012 Portfolio Launch

Transcription

1 Environment Sector 2012 Portfolio Launch Bryan Hannegan, Ph.D. Vice President, Environment & Renewables June 30, 2011

2 A Word on EPRI s Issue-Based Research Inform Industry Leaders Of The Value Of EPRI s R&D Related to Six Strategic Issues Energy Efficiency Smart Grid Renewable Resources and Integration Long-Term Nuclear Operations Near-Zero Emissions Water Resources Management DRIVERS Business Uncertainty market rules, price volatility, fuel security, stranded assets, new technology Growth demand growth, new infrastructure, system upgrades Operations financial performance, environmental performance, efficiency, reliability Regulations compliance, renewable energy, cost recovery People staff retirements, advanced technology skills, health & safety 2

3 2012 Research Focus and Industry Drivers Major Industry Drivers Hazardous Air Pollutants ; Maximum Achievable Control Technology; National Ambient Air Quality Standards; Transport Rule International, domestic, regional climate legislative uncertainty Electric and Magnetic Field/Radio- Frequency public perception; rights-of-way Research Focus Inform decisions and evaluate technology options of environmental aspects of thermal power generation Assess the economic and environmental risks of climate policies and regulations Address public health and environmental issues associated with electric power transmission, distribution and use Ergonomics of new technologies Fish Friendly Turbine; water footprinting; 316(b); effluent guidelines Maximize land use, mitigate potential ecological impacts Coal Combustion Residuals Rulemaking; Ensure safety and health of workforce Ensure adequate water supply and preserve aquatic species Evaluate the potential environmental aspects of renewable technologies Management of contaminants and byproducts of electricity production 3

4 Modifications to 2012 Portfolio Scope Changes T&D and Rights-of-Way Environmental Issues (combines P51 + P57) MGP Site Remediation (P50) (Title Change) Site Decommissioning Interest Group moved to P49 Supplemental Projects 23 Projects Listed with 2012 Portfolio All 23 on 2012 price sheet 15 new projects 7 cross-listed with PDU and Generation All available interest/user groups listed on 2012 price sheet 4

5 Environment Research Outlook for 2012 Air Emissions Focus on risk and health basis for ambient standards Air Quality Global Climate Change Occupational Health & Safety Environmental Aspects of Renewables Water & Ecosystems Land & Groundwater T&D Environmental Issues Renewables Impacts - Maximize land use, mitigate potential ecological impacts for planning and siting Climate Policy Evaluating cost effective alternatives of technology options and offsets; roles of regulations and policy Land & Groundwater - CCR Rulemaking; site decommissioning and restoration Health & Safety - Ergonomics and workplace exposures to noise, heat and chemicals T&D Impacts Focus on RF and EMF health continue; Enabling siting and ROW management issues Water Use - water footprinting; 316(b); effluent guidelines; fish friendly turbine 5

6 Air Quality Focuses on impacts of air quality on public health, visibility, and the environment. Air and multimedia toxics health and risk assessment (Program 42) Air quality assessment of ozone, particulate matter, visibility and deposition (Program 91) Assessment of air quality impacts on human health (Program 92) 6

7 How Fast Do Fish Recover After Mercury MACT? Air Quality (Program 42 Results) Issue: General misunderstanding of years for lakes & fish to reach lower mercury levels after emissions cuts. EPRI Response: Detailed study, U.S. lake with MACT-control power plant on shore Simulate global changes in mercury emissions over time Multiple models of realistic ecosystems Value: Results show Years to decades required to reach stable lower mercury levels; Global emissions growth rapidly swamps even large U.S. cuts in Hg 7

8 Review of Secondary NAAQS for SOx and NOx Air Quality (Program 91 Results) Issue: EPA proposing unprecedented secondary standard for SOx and NOx EPRI Response: Submitted comments to EPA and CASAC on draft Policy Assessment Documents: Value: Results show Data from sensitive water-bodies used to determine average quantities for ecoregions, introducing biases that essentially lead to a stricter standard Use of steady state assumptions for calculation of critical loads for a dynamic system Use of aquatic and atmospheric models in the standard-setting process without adequate model performance evaluation Lack of appropriate methods for estimating uncertainty and variability Source: istockphoto 8

9 Bi City Concentrated Ambient Particle Study Air Quality (Program 92 Results) Issue: Need to understand PM component-specific health effects in order to move the regulatory paradigm away from a mass-based standard EPRI Response: Exposed rats to concentrated ambient particles in Detroit and Steubenville, looked at cardiac effects Value: Results Show Several trace metals and elemental carbon were significantly associated with health effects No consistent associations with sulfate or coal-burning source factor Traffic and local industrial sources appear to be most important with respect to cardiac effects Highlights need for component-specific standards ln (SDNN) refinery secondary sulfate iron/steel manufacturing sludge incinerator cement/lime production gasoline- & diesel-powered vehicles

10 Global Climate Change Performs analyses on the potential costs and benefits of global climate policy proposals; identifies strategies for achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements. Global climate policy costs and benefits (Program 102) Greenhouse gas reduction options (Program 103) 10

11 Examining the Role of Technology Global Climate Change (Program 102 Results) Issue: Role of technology in managing climate change EPRI Response: examine the role of technological advances in managing the costs of reducing GHG emissions Value: estimating the value of technology improvement and understanding/overcoming barriers to technology improvements. TrillionkWhper year Coal Retrofit New CCS Gas Limited Portfolio Nuclear Coal Gas Wind Hydro Oil Nuclear Demand Reduction Hydro Wind Sola Biomass r Biomass Solar Coal Gas Demand with No Policy Demand Reduction Full Portfolio Biomass Hydro CCS Retrofit Nuclear Demand Reduction Wind New Coal + CCS TrillionkWhper year 11

12 Prism 2.0 Advances Providing Tools to Inform Better Decisions Global Climate Change (Program 103 Results) Issue: Electric companies face unprecedented uncertainty regulatory, technology, public acceptance EPRI Response: Understanding technology options, possible regulatory outcomes, public acceptance issues combined with traditional fuel market and load uncertainty Value: Improved treatment of renewables; expanded demand-side detail by region and technology; full complement of environmental regulations 12

13 Land and Groundwater Provides the tools and scientific analysis to protect groundwater, remediate contaminated sites, and characterize emissions Coal combustion products environmental issues (Program 49) Manufactured gas plant site remediation (Program 50) Power plant multimedia toxics characterization (Program 59) 13

14 Economic Evaluation of Hazardous Waste Rule Land & Groundwater (Program 49 Results) Issue: Costs of hazardous waste designation were significantly underestimated in EPA Proposal EPRI Response: Evaluated detailed engineering costs at plant level; rolled costs up into an industry-wide economic impact Value: Results Show EPA underestimated impact by $3 to $5 billion per year 14

15 Coal tar in difficult to reach areas Land & Groundwater (Program 50 Results) Issue: Assessing and characterizing coal tar beneath buildings, roads, etc. is difficult and requires specialized methods. EPRI Response: Study identified a few well developed tools that can potentially be used. Further research required to develop or modify alternative methods. Value: Results Show Confirmation that some methods exist that can be used in the interim while enhanced methods are developed. Include Relevant Photo 15

16 HAPs ICR: Preliminary Data Analysis Land & Groundwater (Program 59 Results) Issue: EPA s reliance on poor quality ICR data may lead to unrealistic MACT standards that may call for very expensive, unnecessary control technologies EPRI Response: Non-Hg metals correlate with filterable PM, dioxins/furan and other organics below detection limits Value: EPRI preliminary data analysis has helped all stakeholders, including EPA 16

17 Occupational Health and Safety Provides analysis of injury and illness trends, designs cost-effective ergonomic interventions and evaluates health issues unique to the electricity sector. Occupational health and safety (Program 62) 17

18 Exposure Assessment of Hexavalent Chrome in Welding Fumes Occupational Health & Safety (Program 62 Results) Issue: New OSHA standards in 2006; engineering controls by 2010; exposure assessment of hexavalent chrome may not be performed at each single company EPRI Response: Compiled electric utility specific data collected to comply with 2006 OSHA standard Value: Aided all companies working toward compliance 18

19 Transmission & Distribution Environmental Issues Addresses environmental and health issues associated with a safe and reliable T&D power grid. T&D and rights-of-way environmental issues (Program 51) Electric and magnetic fields and radio-frequency health assessment and safety (Program 60) 19

20 Utility Vegetation Management for T&D Infrastructure T&D Environmental Issues (Program 51 Results) Issue: Distribution is where most of the outages occur; tree trimming is a major cost to utility companies for T&D maintenance EPRI Response: Opportunity to apply a structured methodology to current company vegetation management programs; automated version of the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Analysis Tool available mid 2011 Value: clear understanding of how trees pose risks to the distribution system; reduce/prevent outages; high level assessment of current practices compared to industry best practices 20

21 Radiofrequency Exposure Levels from Smart Meters T&D Environmental Issues (Program 60 Results) Issue: Public is concerned about RF exposure levels from Smart Meters EPRI Response: RF source characterization study of a major brand of smart meter; First study to assess RF exposures from widely used model of smart meter Value: Timely information for regulators, decision-makers, and the public 21

22 Water and Ecosystems Focuses on sustainable water use, fish protection, watershed management, ecological impact assessments and new waterpower resources. Water quality and watershed protection (Program 53) Fish protection at steam electric power plants (Program 54) Water availability and use (Program 55) Effluent guidelines and water quality management (Program 56) Waterpower (Program 58) 22

23 Water Quality Trading Water & Ecosystems (Program 53 Results) Issue: Need to test the value of water quality trading for both permit compliance as well as general watershed improvement. EPRI Response: Established scientific and social foundations for the largest water quality trading project in the world, the Ohio River Basin Trading Program; conducting Pilot Trades in Value: Understand the economic savings, social value, and ecological benefits of water quality trading as a water quality and watershed management improvement tool. 23

24 Closed Cycle Cooling Retrofit Research Water & Ecosystems (Program 54 Results) Issue: EPA considered specifying closed-cycle cooling as BTA under 316(b) Existing Facility Rule EPRI Response: National study to estimate cost of national requirement for closed-cycle cooling Value: Results show Plant-specific compliance costs from $50 million to > $1 billion; national reliability issues National costs > $95 billion; many plant closures; operating efficiency issues; compromised regional grid reliability 24

25 Water Prism Water & Ecosystems (Program 55 Results) Issue: Forecasting and managing future water availability EPRI Response: New analytic framework (Water Prism) developed to forecast future water availability and evaluate alternative management plans Value: Effectively and economically manage for water sustainability All water using sectors must be involved Must consider new technologies, land use change, population change, climate variation 25

26 Evaluation of Zero Liquid Discharge for Flue-Gas Desulphurization Waters Water & Ecosystems (Program 56 Results) Issue: Some states/regions are considering limiting FGD wastewater discharges, thus requiring zero liquid discharge (ZLD) EPRI Response: Evaluated existing ZLD systems, including international; systems appeared to be operating with success, but with significant capital and operating costs Value: Evaluation of the application, limitations, costs, and concerns of ZLD operation to help inform and develop water management strategies. 26

27 Alden (Fish-Friendly) Turbine Water & Ecosystems (Program 58 Results) Issue: Fish mortality associated with turbine passage at existing and potential hydropower facilities EPRI Response: The Alden Turbine, developed with EPRI leadership and funding will provide safe and hydraulically efficient passage for fish Value: Enhance environmental performance of hydropower where deployed; eliminates need to spill water to protect fish 27

28 Environmental Aspects of Renewables Focuses on land use, vegetation management, species and ecosystem interactions and human health and safety associated with renewable energy development. Environmental aspects of renewable energy (Program 179) 28

29 Ecological Population Risk of Renewable Technologies Environmental Aspects of Renewables (Program 179 Results Issue: Utility-scale renewable projects may impact endangered or threatened species, leading to potential federal liability; problems attaining necessary permits; project cancellation EPRI Response: Define major species related issues; foundation for case studies, looking at specific species of concern. Value: Design best practice conservation/ mitigation approach to minimize potential harm to species; could lead to faster project timelines, improved coexistence of wildlife and technology, improved economics for renewable energy. 29

30 Together Shaping the Future of Electricity 30