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Progress Energy Carolinas continues to reduce emissions at its coal-fired power plants in North Carolina and is on track to have all of its emissions technologies installed by 2013, according to a recent report submitted to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In late 2005, the Asheville Progress Energy Plant is scheduled to begin operating a flue-gas desulfurization unit (commonly known as a scrubber. See structures located to the left of the two power plants in photo on the right.) to remove SO2 and other emissions, making it the first project operational under the Clean Smokestacks law. The Clean Smokestacks Act was adopted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2002 and requires significant reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The law is designed to allow utilities to achieve these reductions without increasing rates for customers. The legislation, developed cooperatively with Governor Mike Easley and legislative, government, environmental and business leaders, is being used as a model in other states for improving air quality. In March, the EPA awarded its Clean Air Excellence Award to the state of North Carolina and its environmental and business partners, including Progress Energy, for this landmark legislation. Progress Energy is investing more than $800 million in capital costs to comply with the Act's requirements. These investments are in addition to the $370 million investment the company has made to reduce NOx emissions during the ozone season.
Progress Energy is installing technologies that are projected to reduce SO2 emissions by 74 percent and NOx emissions by 56 percent from 2001 levels at its North Carolina plants. In addition, a DENR report estimates that the SO2 and NOx control technologies will also remove 55 percent of mercury emissions. In late 2005, the Asheville Plant is scheduled to begin operating a flue-gas desulfurization unit (commonly known as a scrubber) to remove SO2 and other emissions, making it the first project operational under the Clean Smokestacks law. Other emissions reduction technologies will be installed at plants between 2005 and 2013. To comply with the Clean Smokestacks Act and meet other environmental requirements, Progress Energy is installing NOx-reduction technologies at all of its plants in North Carolina and is installing scrubbers to reduce SO2 emissions at the Asheville, Cape Fear, Mayo, Roxboro and Sutton plants. When all the controls are in place, Progress Energy plants will have some of the lowest emissions in the country. In addition, Progress Energy is finding environmentally friendly uses for the byproducts of the scrubbers, including gypsum, which can be used to make wallboard. In February 2004, Progress Energy announced that it would sell gypsum from its Roxboro scrubber to a wallboard facility that will be constructed adjacent to the plant.
Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 diversified energy company with more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company's holdings include two electric utilities serving more than 2.8 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Progress Energy also includes non-regulated operations covering competitive generation, energy marketing, natural gas production, fuel extraction, rail services and broadband capacity. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at (Image provided by Progress Energy)
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"In the past year, we started construction on major pollution control equipment and in the past 10 years, we've installed a variety of innovative technologies at our plants to reduce emissions," said Bob McGehee, president and CEO of Progress Energy. "This commitment to relentless improvement allows us to balance the desire for cleaner air for North Carolina's citizens while providing affordable electricity for our customers." 