Since the electrical output from "less-polluting" and "dirty" generating plants is the same, all fossil-fuel power plants should be required to meet uniform emission standards. This is a key message of the Pembina Institute's submission to Environment Canada on the proposed National Guidelines for new thermal power generation plants.
"It is essential to have strict emission limits to protect human health," said the Director of the Energy Watch Program, Tom Marr-Laing. "The National Guidelines should set the emission limits at the level that can be attained by the least polluting fossil-fuel generation — such as a natural-gas combined-cycle power plant. If a company wants to build a facility that is dirtier, such as a coal-fired plant, they should only be allowed to proceed if they offset their emissions to at least those of a gas plant."
Marr-Laing explained that through offsets a company can reduce emissions to the environment from another source by the same amount that their plant is increasing them. This will ensure that plants using different fuels will compete environmentally on a level playing field.
If the federal government is not yet prepared to implement a "one standard for all" policy, the Pembina Institute advises that standards should then be set for different fuel types based on the model used by the United States. The U.S. system requires all new coal plants to at least use Best Available Control Technology (BACT). Where air quality is already poor, even stricter emission limits are set, which require the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER).
"Adopting a BACT/LAER system will help to ensure that, at the very least, the emission guidelines for electricity from coal, oil, and natural gas are as stringent as possible for each type of fuel," said Environmental Policy Analyst, Mary Griffiths. "Furthermore, such standards would automatically tighten over time in response to improvements in technology."
"Even if the federal government isn't prepared to level the playing field between generation plants using different types of fuel, we must ensure that emissions are reduced as much as possible," Griffiths said.
The Institute's submission also recommends that the federal government establish standards requiring 100 percent offset of greenhouse gases from new facilities, that mercury standards be incorporated as soon as they are available, and that a plan be developed requiring existing facilities to upgrade to the new standards over a specified period of time.
For more information:
Mary Griffiths
Office: 780-433-6675
Tom Marr-Laing
Office: 780-542-6272
Download the Pembina Institute's full submission to Environment Canada (pdf file — 58Kb).
