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Proactive Investment Removes Mercury

When Seminole Electric Cooperative, Suwannee Valley Electric’s power supplier, built its Seminole Generating Station (SGS) in Putnam County, it installed more than $250 million in pollution-control equipment, making it one of the nation’s cleanest electric-generating facilities when Seminole units 1 and 2 came on line in 1984.

SGS always has complied with emissions standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

This pollution-control equipment primarily reduces emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, but it also cuts other emissions, including mercury. 

In the last five years, Seminole has spent
approximately $280 million more on additional pollution control upgrades.

This increased mercury removal from about 80 percent to more than 90 percent.

These facts are significant in many ways. 

First, when Seminole’s board approved the additional pollution controls, it had many options.  Instead of installing some of the equipment, it could have used different quality coal, or met the EPA’s rules by buying emission credits from other entities. 

In the short term, these would have cost less.  However, as concern over the environment increased, the Seminole board decided to install the best available pollution-control technology. That is paying huge dividends.

This is especially true since the EPA has proposed a rule that would place restrictions on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.   

In the EPA’s pending rule, coal-fired plants like SGS would have to remove up to 90 percent of the mercury emitted from its stacks. The EPA is scheduled to finalize the rule in November. Coal-fired plants would have to meet the standard in three years.

While the debate on the proposed rule continues, one fact remains: Seminole has been years ahead of the curve.

 “If the EPA adopts a mercury rule as currently proposed, Seminole would already be meeting the standard,” said Mike Opalinski, Seminole’s senior vice president of energy policy.

While other utilities may have to choose between huge investments in pollution controls or shutting down plants, Seminole is not in that hard position.  The investment in pollution-control equipment early on was good for the environment. It also proved to be cost effective. 

Even with its pollution-control equipment, SGS is still one of the lowest-cost resources for your electricity. Only nuclear power is less costly to operate.

So contrary to many opinions, today’s modern coal plants can protect the environment while providing reliable and affordable electricity.

That is great news for Suwannee Valley Electric and you.

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