Clear Skies

Clear Skies in Nebraska

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Unless otherwise noted, the data presented throughout this Web site reflect EPA’s 2003 modeling and analysis of the Clear Skies Act of 2003. Clear Skies legislation was intended to create a mandatory program that would dramatically reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury by setting a national cap on each pollutant. The Clear Skies bill was proposed in response to a growing need for an emission reduction plan that will protect human health and the environment while providing regulatory certainty to the industry. The proposed legislation for air regulation never moved out of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee in 2005 and was therefore never enacted.

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Highlights of Clear Skies in Nebraska

Nebraska sources would reduce emissions of SO2 by 2%, NOx by 42%, and mercury by 2% by 2020 due to Clear Skies.
The health benefits in Nebraska would total $530 million ($100 million under the alternative estimate) and include approximately 70 fewer premature deaths (40 under the alternative estimate) and 200 fewer hospitalizations/emergency room visits.
In addition, Nebraska would receive environmental benefits, including improved visibility and reduced nitrogen deposition..
Clear Skies does not significantly impact electricity prices. With or without Clear Skies, electricity prices in the electricity supply region that includes Nebraska are expected to remain near or below 2000 prices.

Clear Skies: An Innovative Approach to Improving Human Health and the Environment

Why Clear Skies?

Air quality has improved, but serious concerns persist
- Nebraska's citizens suffer ill effects from air pollution, including asthma attacks and premature death.
Electricity generation sector remains a major emissions source

Very cost-effective to control the power sector, relative to other sources
Sources are concerned about upcoming complex and burdensome regulations.

Advantages of the Clear Skies Approach

Guarantees significant nationwide emissions reductions - beginning years before full implementation
- Nebraska sources would reduce emissions of NOx and hold the line on SO2 and mercury.
- Delivers dramatic progress towards achievement of critical health and environmental goals.
Uses proven, market-based flexible approach with incentives for innovation

Recognizes environmental needs as well as industry constraints, allowing industry to better manage
its operations and finances while lowering risks to the public
Sources are projected to install pollution controls to enable continued reliance on coal.

Increases certainty across the board for industry, regulators, and consumers.

Under Current Clean Air Act Power Plants Would Face a Complex Set of Requirements

For a larger image, click here.

Clear Skies Sets a Firm Timeline for Emission Reductions

The existing Title IV SO2 cap-and-trade program provides an incentive and a mechanism to begin reductions upon enactment of Clear Skies years before regulatory action under the current Act.

2004: The NOx SIP call (summertime NOx cap in 19 Eastern States + D.C.)

2008: Clear Skies NOx Phase I (2.1 million ton annual cap assigned to two Zones with trading programs)

2010:

Clear Skies Hg Phase I (26 ton annual cap with a national trading program)
SO2 Phase I (4.5 million ton annual cap with a national trading program)

2018:

Clear Skies NOx Phase II (1.7 million ton annual cap assigned to two Zones with trading programs)
Clear Skies Hg Phase II (15 ton annual cap with a national trading program)
Clear Skies SO2 Phase II (3.0 million ton annual cap with a national trading program)

Clear Skies Health and Air Quality Benefits in Nebraska

By 2020, Nebraska would receive approximately $530 million in annual health benefits from reductions in fine particle and ozone concentrations alone due to Clear Skies. (see note 1)

Improve Public Health

Reduced ozone and fine particle exposure by 2020 would result in public health benefits of:
- approximately 70 fewer premature deaths each year (see note 1)
- approximately 100 fewer cases of chronic bronchitis each year
- approximately 200 fewer hospital and emergency room visits each year
- approximately 8,500 fewer days workers are out sick due to respiratory symptoms each year
- approximately 1,800 fewer school absences each year

Reduced mercury emissions would reduce exposure to mercury through consumption of contaminated fish, resulting in additional, unquantified benefits for those who eat fish from mercury-contaminated lakes and streams in Nebraska.

Help Maintain Health-Based Air Quality Standards (see note 2)

Currently, all counties meet the 8-hour ozone and fine particle standards.
Clear Skies would further reduce concentrations of ozone and fine particles throughout Nebraska.

Clear Skies Environmental Benefits in Nebraska

Projected Changes in Nitrogen Deposition with the Base Case in 2020 Compared to 2001

Clear Skies Would Provide Environmental Benefits in Nebraska

In comparison to existing programs,

Visibility would improve perceptibly in Eastern Nebraska.
- The value of this benefit for Nebraska residents who visit National Parks and wilderness areas nation wide is $13 million.
Sulfur deposition would decrease by 15-30% in the central portion of the state and up to 15% in the rest of the state.
Nitrogen deposition, a cause of damage to nitrogen-sensitive coastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone, would decrease 5-20% throughout large portions of Eastern Nebraska
Mercury deposition would decrease up to 15% in the easternmost part of the state.*

* These results are based on modeling the Clear Skies mercury cap without triggering the safety valve.

Emissions in Nebraska under Clear Skies

Emission reductions in Nebraska (2020) compared to the base case:

2% decrease in SO2 emissions
42% decrease NOx emissions
2% decrease in mercury emissions

Emissions: Current (2000) and Existing Clean Air Act Regulations (base case*) vs. Clear Skies in Nebraska in 2010 and 2020

Emissions: Current (2000) and Existing Clean Air Act Regulations (base case*) vs. Clear Skies in Nebraska in 2010 and 2020 -- Sulfur dioxide

Emissions: Current (2000) and Existing Clean Air Act Regulations (base case*) vs. Clear Skies in Nebraska in 2010 and 2020 -- Mercury

Note: The base case using IPM includes Title IV, the NOx SIP Call, NSR settlements, and state-specific caps in CT, MA, MO, NC, NH, TX, and WI. It does not include mercury MACT in 2007 or any other potential future regulations to implement the current air quality standards or other parts of the Clean Air Act. Base case emissions in 2020 will likely be lower due to state and federal regulatory actions that have not yet been promulgated.

SO2 and NOx Emissions Reductions under Clear Skies

Projected NOx Emissions from Power Plants with the Base Case and Clear Skies (2020) - West

Note: The base case using IPM includes Title IV, the NOx SIP Call, NSR settlements, and state-specific caps in CT, MA, MO, NC, NH, TX, and WI. It does not include mercury MACT in 2007 or any other potential future regulations to implement the current ambient air quality standards or other parts of the Clean Air Act. Base case emissions in 2020 will likely be lower due to state and federal regulatory actions that have not yet been promulgated. Emissions projected for new units are not reflected.

Electricity Generation in Nebraska under Clear Skies

Current and Projected Generation by Fuel Type in Nebraska under Clear Skies (GWh)

Current and Projected Generation by Fuel Type in Nebraska under Clear Skies (GWh)

Nebraska's electricity growth is projected to be met by increases in gas-fired and coal-fired generation. Clear Skies does not significantly alter this projection.

Electricity from coal-fired generation will increase by 28% from 1999 to 2020.

Nebraska's sources are projected to reduce their emissions through the installation of emission controls, rather than through a switch from coal to natural gas.

In 2010 and 2020, 22% of Nebraska's coal-fired generation is projected to come from units with advanced SO2 and/or NOx control equipment that also substantially reduce mercury emissions.
No coal-fired units in Nebraska are projected to be removed from operation as a result of Clear Skies

Current and Projected Coal Production for Electricity Generation

Emission Controls in Nebraska under Clear Skies

Under Clear Skies by 2020...

22% of coal-fired capacity would install SCR
No scrubbers would be installed

The major generation companies in Nebraska include:

Omaha Public Power District
Nebraska Public Power District
Lincoln Electric System
Grand Island Electric Dept.

Total coal-fired capacity in Nebraska is projected to be 1,237 MW in 2010.

Units in Nebraska Projected to Be Retrofitted Due to Clear Skies by 2020

Plant Name	Unit ID	Technology
GERALD GENTLEMAN	1	SCR*

* Retrofit was installed under Clear Skies by 2010

Note: Retrofits and total coal-fired capacity apply to coal units greater than 25 MW.

Electricity Prices in Nebraska under Clear Skies

With or without Clear Skies, retail prices in the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) MAPP region (the electricity supply region that contains Nebraska) are projected to increase between 2005 and 2020.
With Clear Skies, retail prices are projected to be approximately 0.2 - 3.5% higher between 2005 and 2020 than in the absence of the legislation.

NERC

Projected Retail Electricity Prices in Nebraska under Base Case and Clear Skies (2005-2020)

Projected National Electricity Prices and Prices in Nebraska under Clear Skies (2005-2020)

In 2000, the average retail electricity price in Nebraska was approximately 5.3 cents/kWh, which was below the average national retail price of approximately 6.7 cents/kWh.

Note: The base case using IPM includes Title IV, the NOx SIP Call, NSR settlements, and state-specific caps in CT, MA, MO, NC, NH, TX, and WI. It does not include mercury MACT in 2007 or any other potential future regulations to implement the current ambient air quality standards or other parts of the Clean Air Act. Base case emissions in 2020 will likely be lower due to state and federal regulatory actions that have not yet been promulgated.

Costs and Benefits in Nebraska under Clear Skies

Benefits Outweigh the Costs

Clear Skies....

Guarantees significant emissions reductions - beginning years before full implementation
Uses a proven and flexible market-based approach with incentives for innovation
Increases certainty across the board for industry, regulators, and consumers

In Nebraska, Clear Skies is projected to cost approximately $14 million annually by 2020 while providing health benefits totaling approximately $530 million annually.
The increases in production costs under Clear Skies represent only a small percentage of total retail electricity sales revenue in Nebraska.
- Retail electricity sales revenue in Nebraska was $1.3 billion in 2000.
- Adjusting these sales revenues by the same growth rate used for the modeling of costs would result in revenues of almost $2.0 billion annually in 2020.
Nationwide, the projected annual costs of Clear Skies (in $1999) are $4.3 billion in 2010 and $6.3 billion in 2020; the nationwide benefits of Clear Skies are expected to be over $113 billion annually by 2020.
- An alternative estimate projects annual health benefits totaling $23 billion.

Note: Costs include capital costs, fuel, and other operation and maintenance costs (both fixed and variable) associated with the achievement of the emissions caps in the legislation (for example, the installation and operation of pollution controls). These state-level production costs are estimates; they do not account for the costs associated with the transfer of electricity across regions, nor the costs or savings that could be associated with allowance movement between sources.

Notes on EPA's Analysis

The information presented in this analysis reflects EPA's modeling of the Clear Skies Act of 2003.
- EPA has updated this information to reflect modifications:
  - Changes included in the Clear Skies Act of 2003.
  - Revisions to the Base Case to reflect newly promulgated rules at the state and federal level since the initial analysis was undertaken.
- The Clear Skies modeling results presented include the safety valve feature
This analysis compares new programs to a Base Case (Existing Control Programs), which is typical when calculating costs and benefits of Agency rulemakings.

The Base Case reflects implementation of current control programs only:
- Does not include yet-to-be developed regulations such as those to implement the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
The EPA Base Case for power sector modeling includes:
- Title IV, the NOx SIP Call, NSR settlements, and state-specific caps in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin finalized before March 2003.
For air quality modeling, the Base Case also includes federal and state control programs, as well as the Tier II, Heavy Duty Diesel, and Nonroad Diesel rules.