Assessment of national consequences of increased coal utilization. Executive summary
This report is a summation of the efforts of personnel at six national laboratories and in the U.S. Department of Energy. In addressing the set of National Energy Plan (NEP) scenario assumptions, ten technical areas were considered: Siting, Air Quality, Western Long-Range Transport of Sulfur, Eastern Long-Range Transport of Sulfur, Water Quality, Water Availability, Solid Waste, Local Socioeconomics, National Economics, and Health Effects. The major constraints to reaching NEP coal use goals, which are 160 GWe of new utility coal use and 4.5 Quads of new industrial coal use, appear to be those pertaining to air quality. They involve the siting of utility and industrial sources in or near nonattainment areas or Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Class I areas. Siting constrants can be expected as well in PSD Class II areas where allowable TSP and/or SO/sub 2/ increments are almost exhausted. Further restrictions would be caused by potential short-term SO/sub 2/ and TSP National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) violations. Thirty-five percent of new utility coal use may be affected by these constraints. Up to 60% of new industrial coal use is potentially restricted due to these regulations. Implementation of NEP initiatives should not cause increased public health impacts. Water quality and water availability constraints on site-specific bases are expected. Solid waste does not appear to be a constraint for achieving NEP coal use goals. Neither national economic nor regional socioeconomic impacts appear to cause major restrictions to reaching NEP goals. Yet, there may be major socioeconomic impacts on a local basis where large-scale energy facilities will be located in areas of low assimilative capacity. Uncertainties surrounding the regulatory framework may significantly affect impact analyses and should be taken into consideration.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA); Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA); California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.; Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6073803
- Report Number(s):
- TID-29425(Vol.2)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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