WisBusiness: State advances tighter mercury regulations

Gov. Jim Doyle is praising a proposed rule to cut mercury emissions from utilities by 90 percent because of the flexibility built into the proposed rule.

Doyle announced the Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing April 7 on the proposal, which would require power plants to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2015. It would also give utilities until 2021 to meet the mercury reduction if they cut sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by 2015.

Doyle said it’s time for the state to take action.

“We can no longer sit back and wait for the federal government,” Doyle said.

DNR secretary Matt Frank discussed new rules being proposed to limit mercury and other air pollutants and moving the state away from its dependence on coal-fueled power during an early March interview with WisPolitics.com

BUSINESS AND UTILITY REACTION

Scott Manley, a spokesman for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said his group is just beginning to assess the mercury rule change proposal by Gov. Jim Doyle.

But he criticized the Department of Natural Resources for “putting the plan together behind closed doors.

“We are frustrated that the rule was just announced a couple of weeks ago and it seems to be moving through the process too quickly. It doesn’t make sense from a process point and is not conducive to public participation.”

Ultimately, he said the WMC believes the state should do its best to “protect electric ratepayers who will bear the cost of this mercury regulation.

“We believe most of the mercury deposition in Wisconsin comes from outside the state. What we need is a national solution. We question whether it makes sense to do this in Wisconsin before there is a national rule.”

Brian Manthey, a spokesman with We Energies, said:

• We Energies has advocated a multi-emission approach to achieving the challenge of a 90% mercury rule. We will achieve it based upon the most cost effective means to our customers, while achieving the greatest benefit to the environment through innovations in emission technology.

• The rule will keep our feet to the fire – by pushing the cutting edge of innovative technology to meet the challenge. The rule is among the toughest in the nation and we will comply with the public policy goal set by the state.

• Meeting some of the early requirements of the rule will be met by the technology we have added at our facilities….portions of the proposed rule coincide with our Power the Future plan, introduced in 2000, to reduce our sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx). The controls will have a co-benefit that will provide mercury reductions.

• We Energies continues to be a leader in mercury controls research and development. The company is the exclusive utility sponsor of a five-year, $53 million U.S. Department of Energy research and demonstration project. The company is working with several partners to develop a new mercury control technology, the EPRI-patented TOXECON technology, at our Presque Isle Power Plant.

Steve Schultz, of Alliant Energy, said:

“We are still reviewing the Governor’s proposal, but are committed to doing what we can to reduce mercury emissions, and get on a path to a greener energy future. We have already begun working toward a multi-emission reduction strategy, as evidenced by the numbers related to our proposed Nelson Dewey expansion.

We feel that our customers will be best served by a state policy that ultimately allows for alignment with Federal mercury regulations. We are hopeful that the Governor’s plan will give flexibility to utilities like Alliant Energy so that we can meet our important green commitments in a way that is affordable and yet still provides the reliable electricity that we are privileged to provide.”