Boardman Coal Plant
Encyclopedia
The Boardman Coal Plant is a coal-fired power plant
located in Boardman
, Oregon
. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 550 megawatts (MWs) and is operated by Portland General Electric
. The plant is the only remaining coal powered plant in Oregon and has received much attention from the regional media in recent years due to its being the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state with environmental groups such as the Sierra Club
calling for its closing.
amendments, which would have required the plant to meet stricter emission standards. The plant currently accounts for 65% of stationary SO2
emissions, 35% of NOx
emissions, and 7% of CO2
emissions in Oregon.
The Boardman plant is one of PGE's largest power stations, producing 15% of utility's electricity as recent as 2009.
's original plan involved operating the plant until 2040; this would require installing over $500 million of pollution control equipment on the plant by 2017 in order to comply with federal and state clean air standards. In early 2010, however, PGE announced that they are considering an alternative plan for the Boardman plant that would close it in 2020.
In April 2010, PGE decided to close the plant in 2020 to save $470 million in upgrades they would have been required to install had they kept the plant operating until 2040. The decision is contingent upon favorable decisions in a lawsuit and possible federal regulations. In December 2010, the state's environmental protection agency approved the plans for the 2020 closing.
Coal-fired power station
A coal-fired power station produces electricity, usually for public consumption, by burning coal to boil water, producing steam which drives a steam turbine which turns an electrical generator...
located in Boardman
Boardman, Oregon
Boardman is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States on the Columbia River and Interstate 84. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,220. It is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 550 megawatts (MWs) and is operated by Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
. The plant is the only remaining coal powered plant in Oregon and has received much attention from the regional media in recent years due to its being the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state with environmental groups such as the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
calling for its closing.
Background
The Boardman plant was authorized in 1975, just two years before the 1977 Clean Air ActClean Air Act (United States)
The Clean Air Act is a United States federal law enacted by Congress, and signed by President Richard Nixon on December 31, 1970 to control air pollution on a national level. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from...
amendments, which would have required the plant to meet stricter emission standards. The plant currently accounts for 65% of stationary SO2
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
emissions, 35% of NOx
NOx
NOx is a generic term for the mono-nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 . They are produced from the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen gases in the air during combustion, especially at high temperatures...
emissions, and 7% of CO2
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
emissions in Oregon.
The Boardman plant is one of PGE's largest power stations, producing 15% of utility's electricity as recent as 2009.
Recent action
Portland General ElectricPortland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
's original plan involved operating the plant until 2040; this would require installing over $500 million of pollution control equipment on the plant by 2017 in order to comply with federal and state clean air standards. In early 2010, however, PGE announced that they are considering an alternative plan for the Boardman plant that would close it in 2020.
In April 2010, PGE decided to close the plant in 2020 to save $470 million in upgrades they would have been required to install had they kept the plant operating until 2040. The decision is contingent upon favorable decisions in a lawsuit and possible federal regulations. In December 2010, the state's environmental protection agency approved the plans for the 2020 closing.
See also
- List of power stations in Oregon
- Coal power in the United StatesCoal power in the United StatesCoal power in the United States accounts for 46% of the country's electricity production. Utilities buy more than 90 percent of the coal mined in the United States....
- Centralia Coal Plant