Home

U.S. NORTHEAST SEEN MARKET FOR MORE NATURAL GAS

Sept. 26, 1994

A natural gas industry study has found 101 coal and oil burning power plants in the U.S. Northeast that are close enough to pipelines to switch to gas for fuel. The Coalition for Gas-based Environmental Solutions hired Energy Ventures Analysis, Arlington, Va., to conduct the study. It found 101 coal and oil burning power plants from Maine to Virginia, 54 of them within 5 miles of a pipeline and 34 with existing gas service, that could be converted to run on natural gas during the peak

A natural gas industry study has found 101 coal and oil burning power plants in the U.S. Northeast that are close enough to pipelines to switch to gas for fuel.

The Coalition for Gas-based Environmental Solutions hired Energy Ventures Analysis, Arlington, Va., to conduct the study.

It found 101 coal and oil burning power plants from Maine to Virginia, 54 of them within 5 miles of a pipeline and 34 with existing gas service, that could be converted to run on natural gas during the peak ground-level ozone months, April through September.

It said 77 stations, which account for more than 80% of the region's power generating capacity, lie within 10 miles of a pipeline.

The potential cost for extending gas pipeline service to all 101 sites is estimated at $632 million, but the coalition said 90% of the capacity could be converted for about half that cost.

CONVERTING TO GAS

Joseph Vaszily, coalition executive director, said the study "indicates that a large majority of electric generating stations in the Northeast have relatively easy and cost effective access to natural gas" as a way to alleviate ozone problems.

He said, "We recognize that such conversions are not always a viable option, since fuel and conversion costs can vary from power plant to power plant or even boiler to boiler, and there are other costs that cannot be quantified, such as environmental impact statements, regulatory filings, and legal fees.

"However, when it comes to finding least cost options for implementing the Clean Air Act's ground-level ozone limits, we hope that operators, state regulators, and the Environmental Protection Agency will be able to use studies such as this to help determine the advantages of increased, seasonal natural gas use for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions."

The study also found that the 12 largest coal burning stations in the Northeast - 19% of the total number of coal fired facilities in the region - accounted for 54% of the coal burned there during the 1992 ozone season.