CAIR Reduces North Carolina’s Emissions
- By 2015, CAIR will help North Carolina sources reduce
emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 324,000 tons or 70 percent.
SO2 Emissions (thousand tons) |
2003 |
2010 |
2015 |
North Carolina SO2 emissions without CAIR |
462 |
261 |
142 |
North Carolina SO2 emissions with CAIR |
N/A |
252 |
138 |
- By 2015, CAIR will help North Carolina sources reduce emissions
of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 84,000 tons or 63 percent.
NOx Emissions (thousand tons) |
2003 |
2009 |
2015 |
North Carolina NOx emissions without CAIR |
133 |
60 |
61 |
North Carolina NOx emissions with CAIR |
N/A |
50 |
49 |
CAIR Helps North Carolina and its Neighbors
- Because air emissions travel across state boundaries,
reducing the emissions from sources in North Carolina also will
reduce fine particle pollution and ground-level ozone pollution
in other areas of the country.
- Currently, North Carolina sources significantly contribute
to fine particle pollution in the District of Columbia and 5 other
states including:
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, West Virginia & Tennessee
- Currently, North Carolina sources also significantly contribute
to ground-level ozone pollution in 5 other states including:
Maryland, Delaware, Georgia, New York & Pennsylvania
- North Carolina’s fine particle air quality will
improve because of reductions of SO2 and NOx in:
Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia & West Virginia
CAIR Makes North Carolina’s Air Cleaner
- CAIR helps North Carolina meet and maintain the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone and
fine particle pollution.
- SO2 and NOx contribute to the formation of fine particles (PM),
and NOx contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone.
- Areas meeting the NAAQS are in attainment. Those areas not meeting
the standards are known as “nonattainment areas.”
Fine Particle Pollution
- At the end of 2004, 3 North Carolina counties were designated
nonattainment for EPA’s health-based standards for fine
particle pollution.
- CAIR will help bring all of these counties into attainment for
fine particles by 2010:
1. Davidson County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
2. Guilford County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
3. Catawba County Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC Area
Ground-level Ozone
- At the end of 2004, 32 North Carolina counties were designated
nonattainment for EPA’s health-based standards for 8-hour
ozone pollution.
- Existing Clean Air Act Programs will bring all of these counties
into attainment by 2010.
1. Cabarrus County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
2. Gaston County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
3. Iredell County (P) Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
4. Lincoln County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
5. Mecklenburg County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
6. Rowan County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
7. Union County Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Area
8. Cumberland County Fayetteville, NC Area
9. Alamance County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
10. Caswell County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
11. Davidson County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
12. Davie County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
13. Forsyth County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
14. Guilford County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
15. Randolph County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
16. Rockingham County Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC Area
17. Haywood County (P) Haywood & Swain Cos. (Grt. Smokey Natl
Park), NC Area
18. Swain County (P) Haywood & Swain Cos. (Grt. Smokey Natl
Park), NC Area
19. Alexander County Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC Area
20. Burke County(P) Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC Area
21. Caldwell County(P) Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC Area
22. Catawba County Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC Area
23. Chatham County(P) Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
24. Durham County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
25. Franklin County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
26. Granville County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
27. Johnston County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
28. Orange County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
29. Person County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
30. Wake County Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
31. Edgecomb County Rocky Mount, NC Area
32. Nash County Rocky Mount, NC Area
CAIR is Smart for North Carolina’s Economy
- CAIR helps maintain coal as a viable fuel/energy source.
- Regional electricity prices are not significantly impacted by CAIR,
and are projected to be below 2000 levels.
Average Retail Electricity
Prices (AREP) in 1999 dollars |
2000 |
2010 |
2015 |
North Carolina’s AREP without CAIR (mills/kWh*) |
59.3 |
56.2 |
55.1 |
North Carolina’s AREP with CAIR (mills/kWh*) |
N/A |
57.0 |
56.2 |
*mill = 1/10 of a cent |
Notes:
1) Partial counties are identified by (P) following the county
name.
2) Projections concerning future levels of air pollution in specific
geographic locations were estimated using the best scientific models
available. They are estimations, however, and should be characterized
as such in any description. Actual results may vary significantly
if any of the factors that influence air quality differ from the
assumed values used in the projections shown here.
3) Small emission increases can occur in a state under CAIR where
shifts in power generation occur, but overall improvements occur
throughout the CAIR region. The Final CAIR includes a compliance
supplement pool of NOx allowances (roughly 200,000 allowances)
for the annual program, which could lead to slightly higher annual
NOx emissions than are stated here.
4) The data presented here is based on recently completed, revised Integrated Planning Modeling (IPM), reflecting CAIR as finalized. This recent data may
differ slightly from modeling results in the Final CAIR Federal
Register Notice and Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) which were based on modeling that was completed
before EPA had determined the final scope of CAIR. The primary
difference in the earlier modeling included AR, DE, and NJ in the
annual SO2/NOx requirements, and did not include an ozone season
cap on any states.
5) Emissions reductions take into account state and federal pollution
control programs in place when EPA last updated its models in mid-2004.
Reductions from more recent state programs or settlement actions
are not reflected in these tables.
6) Retail electricity prices are by North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) region.
|