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Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
Benchmarking Air EmissionsOf the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
June 2018
Presentation of ResultsData Downloads at: www.mjbradley.com
Report Authors:
Christopher Van Atten
Amlan Saha
Lauren Slawsky
Clement Russell
Luke Hellgren
Contributors:
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
Preface
The 2018 Benchmarking report is the 14th collaborative effort highlighting environmental performance and progress in the nation’s
electric power sector. The Benchmarking series began in 1997 and uses publicly reported data to compare the emissions
performance of the 100 largest power producers in the United States. The current report is based on 2016 generation and
emissions data.
Data on U.S. power plant generation and air emissions are available to the public through several databases maintained by state
and federal agencies. Publicly- and privately-owned electric generating companies are required to report fuel and generation data
to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Most power producers are also required to report air pollutant emissions data
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These data are reported and recorded at the boiler, generator, or plant level,
and must be combined and presented so that company-level comparisons can be made across the industry.
The Benchmarking report facilitates the comparison of emissions performance by combining generation and fuel consumption data
compiled by EIA with emissions data on sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2) and mercury (Hg)
compiled by EPA; error checking the data; and presenting emissions information for the nation’s 100 largest power producers in a
graphic format that aids in understanding and evaluating the data. The report is intended for a wide audience, including electric
industry executives, environmental advocates, financial analysts, investors, journalists, power plant managers, and public
policymakers.
Plant and company level data used in this report are available at www.mjbradley.com.
For questions or comments about this report, please contact:
Christopher Van Atten
M. J. Bradley & Associates LLC
47 Junction Square Drive
Concord, MA 01742, USA
Telephone: +1 978 369 5533
E-mail: vanatten@mjbradley.com
2
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
Key Findings
• In 2016, power plant SO2 and NOx emissions were 91
percent and 82 percent lower, respectively, than they
were in 1990 when Congress passed major
amendments to the Clean Air Act.
• In 2016, power plant CO2 emissions were nearly the
same as 1990 levels (1 percent higher). From 2005
through 2016, power plant CO2 emissions declined by
24 percent. Some of the factors driving this trend
include energy efficiency improvements and the
displacement of coal by natural gas and renewable
energy resources.
• Mercury air emissions from power plants have
decreased 86 percent since 2000. The first-ever
federal limits on mercury and other hazardous air
pollutants from coal-fired power plants went into effect
in 2015.
3
Download plant level data from the 2018
Benchmarking Air Emissions report at:
www.mjbradley.com
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
U.S. Generation by Fuel Type
• In 2016, the U.S. electric system continued
its general shift away from coal toward lower-
and zero-emitting sources. For the first time,
natural gas (34 percent) overtook coal (30
percent) as the largest source of electricity in
the U.S.
• Nuclear plants accounted for 20 percent,
hydroelectric resources 7 percent, oil-fired
resources <1 percent, and non-hydroelectric
renewables and other fuel sources such as
non-biogenic municipal solid waste, tire-
derived fuel, manufactured and waste gases,
etc. accounted for 7 and 2 percent,
respectively.
• This marks a shift away from higher-emitting
power sources compared to a decade ago
(2006), when coal and natural gas accounted
for 49 percent and 20 percent of power
production, respectively.
4
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA-923 Monthly Generation and Fuel Consumption 2016 Final Release. January, 2018.
U.S. Electricity Generation by Fuel Type (2016)
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
The 100 Largest Electric Power Producers
5
The report examines and compares the stack air pollutant emissions of the 100 largest power producers in the United States based on their 2016 generation,
plant ownership, and emissions data. The table below lists the 100 largest power producers featured in this report ranked by their total electricity generation
from fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy facilities. These producers include public and private entities (collectively referred to as “companies” or
“producers” in this report) that own roughly 3,000 power plants and account for 84 percent of reported electric generation and 86 percent of the industry’s
reported emissions.
The report focuses on four power plant pollutants for which public emissions data are available: sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury (Hg), and
carbon dioxide (CO2). At sufficient concentrations, these pollutants are associated with significant environmental and public health problems, including acid
deposition, mercury deposition, nitrogen deposition, global warming, ground-level ozone, regional haze, and fine particle air pollution, which can lead to asthma
and other respiratory illnesses. The report benchmarks, or ranks, each company’s absolute emissions and its emission rate (determined by dividing emissions
by electricity produced) for each pollutant.
The 100 largest power producers emitted in aggregate approximately 1.26 million tons of SO2, 1.01 million tons of NOx, 5.26 tons of mercury, and 1.70 billion
tons of CO2.
RANK PRODUCER NAME
2016 MWh
(million) RANK PRODUCER NAME
2016 MWh
(million) RANK PRODUCER NAME
2016 MWh
(million) RANK PRODUCER NAME
2016 MWh
(million)
1 Duke 219.8 26 Salt River Project 28.6 51 The Carlyle Group 13.6 76 Arkansas Electric Coop 9.8
2 Southern 187.0 27 Oglethorpe 27.8 52 Invenergy 13.5 77 Dow Chemical 9.7
3 Exelon 186.9 28 AES 27.7 53 TransCanada 13.1 78 East Kentucky Pow er Coop 9.6
4 NextEra Energy 180.5 29 New York Pow er Authority 26.9 54 Panda Pow er Funds 13.1 79 Tenaska 9.5
5 Tennessee Valley Authority 139.6 30 Pinnacle West 26.0 55 JEA 13.0 80 Los Angeles City 9.3
6 Entergy 134.3 31 EDF 24.9 56 Municipal Elec. Auth. of GA 13.0 81 Austin Energy 9.3
7 AEP 133.0 32 LS Pow er 24.8 57 Portland General Electric 12.9 82 E.ON 9.3
8 Berkshire Hathaw ay Energy 112.8 33 CPS Energy 23.4 58 EDP 12.9 83 PUD No 1 of Chelan County 9.2
9 Dominion 108.8 34 SCANA 22.8 59 IDACORP 12.8 84 El Paso Electric 8.7
10 Calpine 107.7 35 Emera 22.6 60 CLECO 12.4 85 Intermountain Pow er Agency 8.4
11 NRG 103.2 36 Great Plains Energy 22.0 61 Fortis 11.9 86 International Paper 8.2
12 Dynegy 100.4 37 Westar 21.8 62 NiSource 11.8 87 Buckeye Pow er 8.2
13 FirstEnergy 85.0 38 ArcLight Capital 21.6 63 Puget Holdings 11.4 88 Sacramento Municipal Util Dist 7.9
14 Vistra Energy 82.0 39 OGE 21.4 64 Omaha Public Pow er District 11.3 89 BP 7.5
15 Xcel 74.4 40 CMS Energy 21.2 65 ALLETE 11.1 90 Avista 7.4
16 US Corps of Engineers 71.2 41 Santee Cooper 20.4 66 PNM Resources 11.0 91 NC Public Pow er 7.3
17 Riverstone 58.4 42 Ares 20.3 67 Seminole Electric Coop 10.9 92 Southern California P P A 7.3
18 PSEG 52.6 43 Basin Electric Pow er Coop 19.9 68 Occidental 10.8 93 Energy Capital Partners 7.2
19 US Bureau of Reclamation 40.6 44 Avangrid 17.8 69 Exxon Mobil 10.7 94 Starw ood Energy 7.2
20 DTE Energy 40.5 45 Alliant Energy 17.2 70 Tri-State 10.5 95 Cooperative Energy 7.1
21 Ameren 38.7 46 Associated Electric Coop 16.4 71 Brookfield 10.1 96 Pow erSouth Energy Coop 7.1
22 WEC Energy Group 36.0 47 General Electric 15.3 72 PUD No 2 of Grant County 10.1 97 Brazos Electric Pow er Coop 7.1
23 PPL 35.4 48 NE Public Pow er District 14.8 73 Great River Energy 10.0 98 Enel 7.1
24 PG&E 33.5 49 Edison International 14.0 74 Energy Northw est 10.0 99 Hoosier Energy 6.9
25 ENGIE 29.1 50 Low er CO River Authority 13.8 75 J-Pow er 9.9 100 Seattle City Light 6.7
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
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6
Generation of the 100 Largest Power Producers by Fuel Type (2016)(million MWh)
Renewable/Other
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Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
-50
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81 of the Top 100 power producers
generated power from zero-emitting
resources in 2016, accounting for 89% of
the national total generated from
resources including nuclear, hydro, and
renewables.
Rankings by Zero-Emitting Generation
7
Zero-Emitting Generation of the 100 Largest Power Producers (2016)(million MWh)
Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018 8
Important Note on Emission Rankings
The Benchmarking Report presents generation and emissions information of power producers, not distribution utilities that deliver electricity to customers. In
order to apply a uniform methodology to all power producers, the Report assigns electricity generation and associated emissions to power producers according
to their known generating asset ownership as of December 31, 2016.
The above is true even when a producer’s generating facilities are part of one or more contractual agreements (e.g., power purchase contracts, etc.) with other
entities (often utilities). In other words, this Report attributes all generation and emissions to the owner of an asset, not to purchasers of the asset’s output or to
counterparties to the contracts. Publicly available data do not allow the accurate and exhaustive tracking of such agreements.
There are a host of reasons why a company’s generation profile may differ from that of the electricity it delivers to customers. For example, rural cooperatives,
which are non-profit entities and are thus generally unable to directly take advantage of renewable tax credits, tend to rely on power purchase agreements and
other non-asset owning mechanisms to deliver renewable electricity to their customers (see case study slide).
A vertically integrated utility that owns a large fossil generating fleet, but also delivers purchased renewable electricity to its customers, might have lower
average emission rates than the level attributed in this report to the power producer that owns the said fossil fleet, if the renewable energy purchases were
factored into the utility’s performance. By the same token, the utility’s emissions or emission rate would increase if it contracted with a higher emitting facility or
relied on market purchases with associated emissions.
The charts in the next few slides present both the total emissions by company as well as their average emission rates. The evaluation of emissions
performance by both emission levels and emission rates provides a more complete picture of relative emissions performance than viewing these measures in
isolation. Total emission levels are useful for understanding each producer’s contribution to overall emissions loading, while emission rates are useful for
assessing how electric power producers compare according to emissions per unit of energy produced when size is eliminated as a performance factor.
The charts illustrate significant differences in the total emission levels and emission rates of the 100 largest power producers. For example, the tons of CO2
emissions range from zero to nearly 108 million tons per year. The NOx emission rates range from zero to 2.6 pounds of emissions per megawatt hour of
generation. The total tons of emissions from any producer are influenced by the total amount of generation that a producer owns and by the fuels and
technologies used to generate electricity.
Emission Rankings
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
SO2
(million ton)
NOx (million ton)
Mercury (Hg) (ton)
CO2
(billion ton)
100% 1.47 1.22 6.72 2.02
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75% 28 45 44 48
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100 largest producers
No. of producers
Emission Contributions
9
Air pollution emissions from power plants are highly concentrated among a small number of producers. For example,
nearly a quarter of the electric power industry’s SO2 and CO2 emissions are emitted by just three and five top 100
producers, respectively.
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
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ort
hw
es
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.ON
PU
D N
o 1
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he
lan
Co
un
tyN
C P
ub
lic P
ow
er
Ene
lS
ea
ttle
City
Lig
ht
NOx: Total Emissions and Emission Rates
10
Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
NO
x –
‘00
0 t
on
(fossil
fuel genera
ting f
acili
ties)
NO
x –
lb/M
Wh
(fossil
fuel genera
ting f
acili
ties)
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Oil
Natural Gas
Coal
NE
Pu
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ht
SO2: Total Emissions and Emission Rates
11
Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
SO
2–
‘00
0 t
on
(fossil
fuel genera
ting f
acili
ties)
SO
2–
lb/M
Wh
(fossil
fuel genera
ting f
acili
ties)
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Other
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ht
CO2: Total Emissions and Emission Rates
12
Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
CO
2–
mil
lio
n t
on
(all
genera
ting f
acili
ties)
CO
2–
lb/M
Wh
(all
genera
ting f
acili
ties)
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0
500
1,000
1,500
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ow
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orp
s of E
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nd
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xxon M
obil
Bro
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ran
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ort
hw
es
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ow
Chem
ical
Te
na
sk
aL
os
An
ge
les
City
E.O
NP
UD
No 1
of C
hela
n C
oun
tyE
l P
as
o E
lec
tric
Inte
rna
tio
na
l P
ap
er
Sa
cra
me
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nic
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l U
til D
ist
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NC
Pu
blic
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rS
ou
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alifo
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AS
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ne
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lS
ea
ttle
City
Lig
ht
Mercury: Total Emissions and Emission Rates
13
Breakdown of ownership categories provided on Endnotes slide: privately/investor owned public power cooperative
Me
rcu
ry –
po
un
d(c
oal pla
nts
)M
erc
ury
–lb
/GW
h(c
oal pla
nts
)
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
0
200
400
600
800
0 200 400 600 800
2016
2014
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Impacts
14
Pre-MATS
MATSin effect
Emissions
Increase17% of facilities
Emissions
Decrease83% of facilities
Annual Mercury Emissions by Coal Facility(pounds)
• In 2012, EPA finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics
Standards (MATS), regulating emissions of mercury
and other hazardous air pollutants from coal- and oil-
fired electric generating units. The standards went
into effect on April 16, 2015, although many coal units
obtained a one-year extension to the initial compliance
date. Reported emissions have declined 69 percent
between 2014 and 2016.
• Coal mercury emissions from the top 100 power
producers in 2016 range from less than 1 pound to
2,040 pounds, and coal mercury emission rates range
from 0.0002 pound per gigawatt hour (a gigawatt hour
is 1,000 megawatt hours) to 0.045 pound per gigawatt
hour.
• Compared to 2014 levels mercury emissions declined
at 83 percent of coal facilities that were in operation as
of December 31, 2016 (see adjacent chart). Across
these facilities, emissions decreased by an average of
63 percent.
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
2000 20172000 2017
0
40
80
120
160
200
240
2000 2017
Annual Trends
15
The electric power sector has made significant progress in terms of reducing its NOx and SO2 emissions. From 2000
through 2017, NOx and SO2 emission decreased 79 and 88 percent, respectively. From 2005 to 2017, CO2 emissions
decreased 24 percent while GDP grew 20 percent. Over the same period, generation from renewables grew 92
percent.
Electric Sector Emissions(Indexed; 2000 = 100)
*Includes hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other renewable sources.
**GDP in chained 2009 dollars.
Generation Fuel Mix(Indexed; 2000 = 100)
Macroeconomic Indicators(Indexed; 2000 = 100)
CO2
SO2
NOx
1221
78
Natural Gas
Renewable*
Coal
212
193
61
Total Generation
GDP**
107
136
107Nuclear
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
2,326
2,306
2,266
2,237
2,187
904
900
889
874
868
0 1,000 2,000 3,000
Montana
North Dakota
Wyoming
Kansas
Nebraska
Rhode Island
California
Connecticut
Maine
Idaho
245%
220%
201%
185%
185%
72%
68%
62%
57%
57%
0 1 2 3
Wyoming
West Virginia
North Dakota
Montana
Vermont
Tennessee
Delaware
Idaho
Maryland
Massachusetts
1,985
1,974
1,973
1,784
1,741
279
272
184
183
7
0 1,000 2,000 3,000
Wyoming
West Virginia
Kentucky
Indiana
Missouri
Maine
New Hampshire
Washington
Idaho
Vermont
238.3
116.6
90.5
89.9
88.7
2.8
2.6
1.6
1.4
0.01
0 200 400
Texas
Florida
Pennsylvania
Indiana
Ohio
South Dakota
New Hampshire
Maine
Idaho
Vermont
State-by-State CO2 Emissions
16
Total CO2 Emissions by State(million ton; top 5 and bottom 5 are shown)
All Sources – CO2 Emission Rate(lb/MWh; top 5 and bottom 5 are shown)
Electricity Exporters/Importers(2016 Net Trade Index; top 5 exporters and importers are shown)
Fossil – CO2 Emission Rate(lb/MWh; top 5 and bottom 5 are shown)
E
X
P
O
R
T
E
R
S
I
M
P
O
R
T
E
R
S
Total in-state supply of electricity as % share of total in-state consumption needs; in-state supply includes international imports
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
105
479
499
567
738
805
968
1,094
1,110
1,248
1,280
1,386
1,429
1,498
1,503
1,534
1,620
1,622
1,778
1,925
0 400 800 1,200 1,600 2,000
Exelon (3)
NextEra Energy (4)
PSEG (18)
Entergy (6)
Dominion (9)
Calpine (10)
Duke (1)
Southern (2)
Riverstone (17)
Berkshire Hathaway Energy (8)
FirstEnergy (13)
Xcel (15)
NRG (11)
DTE Energy (20)
Vistra Energy (14)
Dynegy (12)
Ameren (21)
AEP (7)
WEC Energy Group (22)
PPL (23)
Rankings by CO2 Emission Rate(Top 20 Privately/Investor Owned Power Producers)
17
All Sources – CO2 Emission Rate(lb/MWh)
Ranking based on
2016 total generation
Note: “Privately/investor owned” power producers include investor owned, privately held, and foreign owned corporations. This chart does not show public power
producers (federal power authorities, state power authorities, municipalities, power districts), or cooperatives.
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
194
0
194
2
194
4
194
6
194
8
195
0
195
2
195
4
195
6
195
8
196
0
196
2
196
4
196
6
196
8
197
0
197
2
197
4
197
6
197
8
198
0
198
2
198
4
198
6
198
8
199
0
199
2
199
4
199
6
199
8
200
0
200
2
200
4
200
6
200
8
201
0
201
2
201
4
201
6
Renewable/Other
Hydro
Nuclear
Oil
Gas
Coal
Existing Capacity
18
U.S. Electric Generating Capacity by In Service Year: 1940 – 2016(Nameplate Capacity; MW)
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA-860 Annual Electric Generator Report. November 9, 2017.
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
JUNE 2018
Ranking Utility Portfolios
• As described above, the Benchmarking Report presents generation and emissions information of power producers, not utility companies with obligations to deliver electricity to customers. In order to apply a uniform methodology to all power producers, the Report assigns electricity generation and associated emissions to power producers according to their known generating asset ownership as of December 31, 2016.
• If a power producer is also a distribution utility, the fuel mix and emissions associated with the utility’s total supply portfolio may differ substantially from its owned generation, depending on the nature and extent of any power purchase agreements and other contractual agreements to which the utility may be party. The distribution utility might also rely on market purchases to supply its customers (e.g., purchases from the PJM or MISO markets). A power producer might also sell excess supply to the market or to other utilities.
• To highlight the potential implications of these two different approaches, the following slide presents the generation mix and all source CO2 emission rate for a rural electric cooperative—Great River Energy. The graph also reports the CO2 emission rate associated with part of the company’s supply portfolio (owned generation and long-term contracts); the supply portfolio emission rate does not reflect the emissions associated with market purchases, which may be fossil-fired, renewables, or other sources.
• In the example shown, the CO2 emission rate associated with supply is lower because Great River Energy contracts for non-emitting, renewable resources rather than owning wind or solar projects. Rural cooperatives are non-profit entities that are generally unable to take advantage of renewable tax credits, so they will tend to purchase renewable energy under long-term contracts rather than owning the facilities.
• Both approaches—generation and supply—can be helpful in evaluating a company’s performance. Unfortunately, there is no publicly available source for the data that would be required to benchmark utility resource portfolios in the same way that we can benchmark owned-generation assets.
• The following slide illustrates the All Source CO2 emissions rates for Great River Energy. The company voluntarily supplied the information displayed. The charts include the emission rate for Owned Generation only (consistent with the focus and methodology of the Benchmarking report) as well as the All Source emission rate associated with the combination of owned generation and long-term contract purchases.
19
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
Full Report at: www.mjbradley.com
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Case Study: Owned Generation and Contracted Supply
20
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Great River Energy
Ow
ne
d G
en
era
tio
nC
on
tra
cte
d
Supply Portfolio
All Source CO2 RateOwned Generation
2,077 lb/MWh
TWh
All Source CO2 RateWith Contracted Power
1,626 lb/MWh
Coal Natural Gas Oil Nuclear Hydro Renewable/Other Contracted by Fuel Type
Note: additional supply may be obtained from market purchases; however, these data are not included here.
Renewable/Other
Hydro
Great River Energy’s All Source CO2Emission Rate decreases 22% when factoring in owned generation and contracted supply
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Capacity factors measure the extent to which a power plant is utilized over the course of time. The technical definition is the ratio of the electrical energy
produced by a generating unit to the electrical energy that could have been produced assuming continuous full power operation.
Coal plant utilization has declined in recent years; the average annual capacity factor of coal plants in the U.S. dropped from 73 percent in 2008 to 55 percent in
2017, while over the same time period, natural gas combined-cycle capacity factors rose from 40 to 55 percent.
Nuclear plants have high utilization rates, consistently running at above 90 percent average capacity factor.
Hydropower and wind capacity factors are lower, but have also remained relatively constant over the past decade.
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Annual Capacity Factors for Select Fuels and Technologies
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric Power Monthly, Tables 6.7A and 6.7B. January 2018.
*Combined Cycle
Nuclear Coal Natural Gas* Hydro Wind
91% 92%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
2008 2017
73%
54%
2008 2017
40%
55%
2008 2017
37%
45%
2008 2017
32%37%
2008 2017
Average Capacity Factors
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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To supplement the 2018 Benchmarking Report, MJB&A has developed two interactive maps to further visualize the emissions and electricity generation from
power producers in the United States. The primary map (“Main”) provides facility-level emissions and generation data and offers interactive features to filter
facilities by geography, fuel type, company ownership, and other metrics. An additional map (“Trends”) was developed with historical Benchmarking data
(2012-2016 data) to show how facility-level emissions and generation are changing through time.
These maps and accompanying user guide are available at www.mjbradley.com.
Main Map
Trends Map
Benchmarking Maps
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Appendix: Data Sources
The following public data sources were used to develop this report:
EPA AIR MARKETS PROGRAM DATA (AMP): EPA’s Air Markets Program Data account for almost all of the SO2 and NOx emissions, and
about 20 percent of the CO2 emissions analyzed in this report.
EPA TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY (TRI): The 2016 mercury emissions used in this report are based on TRI reports submitted by facility
managers.
EIA FORMS 923 POWER PLANT DATABASES (2016): EIA Form 923 provides data on the electric generation and heat input by fuel type for
utility and non-utility power plants. The heat input data was used to calculate approximately 80 percent of the CO2 emissions analyzed in this
report.
EIA FORM 860 ANNUAL ELECTRIC GENERATOR REPORT (2016): EIA Form 860 is a generating unit level data source that includes
information about generators at electric power plants, including information about generator ownership.
EPA U.S. INVENTORY OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SINKS (2018): EPA’s U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and
Sinks report provides in Annex 2 heat contents and carbon content coefficients of various fuel types. This data was used in conjunction with EIA
Form 923 to calculate approximately 20 percent of the CO2 emissions analyzed in this report.
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Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Appendix: Methodology
Plant Ownership
This report aims to reflect power plant ownership as of December 31, 2016. Plant ownership data used in this report are primarily based on the EIA-860
database from the year 2016. EIA-860 includes ownership information on generators at electric power plants owned or operated by electric utilities and non-
utilities, which include independent power producers, combined heat and power producers, and other industrial organizations. It is published annually by EIA.
For the largest 100 power producers, plant ownership is further checked against self-reported data from the producer’s 10-K form filed with the SEC, listings on
their website, and other media sources. Ownership of plants is updated based on the most recent data available. Consequently, in a number of instances,
ultimate assignment of plant ownership in this report differs from EIA-860’s reported ownership. This primarily happens when the plant in question falls in one
or more of the categories listed below:
1. It is owned by a limited liability partnership of shareholders of which are among the 100 largest power producers.
2. The owner of the plant as listed in EIA-860 is a subsidiary of a company that is among the 100 largest power producers.
3. It was sold or bought during the year 2016. Because form 10-K for a particular year is usually filed by the producer in the first quarter of the
following year, this report assumes that ownership as reported in form 10-K is more accurate.
Publicly available data do not provide a straightforward means to accurately track lease arrangements and power purchase agreements. Therefore, in order to
apply a standardized methodology to all companies, this report allocates generation and any associated emissions according to reported asset ownership as of
December 31, 2016.
Identifying “who owns what” in the dynamic electricity generation industry is probably the single most difficult and complex part of this report. In addition to the
categories listed above, shares of power plants are regularly traded and producers merge, reorganize, or cease operations altogether. While considerable
effort was expended in ensuring the accuracy of ownership information reflected in this report, there may be inadvertent errors in the assignment of ownership
for some plants where public information was either not current or could not be verified.
Generation Data and Cogeneration Facilities
Plant generation data used in this report come from EIA Form 923.
Cogeneration facilities produce both electricity and steam or some other form of useful energy. Because electricity is only a partial output of these plants, their
reported emissions data generally overstate the emissions associated with electricity generation. Generation and emissions data included in this report for
cogeneration facilities have been adjusted to reflect only their electricity generation. For all such cogeneration facilities emissions data were calculated on the
basis of heat input of fuel associated with electricity generation only. Consequently, for all such facilities EIA Form 923, which report a plant’s total heat input as
well as that which is associated with electricity production only, was used to calculate their emissions.
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Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Appendix: Methodology (continued)
NOx and SO2 Emissions
The EPA AMP database collects and reports SO2 and NOx emissions data for nearly all major power plants in the U.S. Emissions information reported in the
AMP database is collected from continuous emission monitoring (CEM) systems. SO2 and NOx emissions data reported to the AMP account for all of the SO2
and NOx emissions assigned to the 100 largest power producers in this report.
The AMP database collects and reports SO2 and NOx emissions data by fuel type at the boiler level. This report consolidates this data at the generating unit
and plant levels. In the case of jointly owned plants, because joint ownership is determined by producer’s share of installed capacity, assignment of SO2 and
NOx emissions to the producers on this basis implicitly assumes that emission rates are uniform across the different units. This may cause producers to be
assigned emission figures that are slightly higher or lower than their actual shares.
The appointment of NOx emissions between coal and natural gas at boilers that can burn both fuels may in certain instances sl ightly overstate coal’s share of
the emissions. This situation is likely to arise when a dual-fuel boiler that is classified as “coal-fired” within AMP burns natural gas to produce electricity in
substantial amounts. In most years there would be very little economic reason to make this switch in a boiler that is not part of a combined cycle setup.
Continued low natural gas prices in 2016 led to a small number of boilers switching to natural gas for most or a large part of their electricity output. Because
AMP datasets do not make this distinction, apportioning emissions based on the fuel-type of the boiler would increase coal’s share of emissions.
SO2 and CO2 emissions are mostly not affected by this issue. Natural gas emits virtually no SO2. CO2 emissions can be calculated from the heat input data
reported in EIA Form 923, which allows for the correct apportionment of emissions between coal and natural gas.
CO2 Emissions
A majority of CO2 emissions used in this report were calculated using heat input data from EIA form 923 and carbon content coefficients of various fuel types
provided by EPA. The table on the following slide shows the carbon coefficients used in this procedure. Non-emitting fuel types, whose carbon coefficients are
zero, are not shown in the table. CO2 emissions reported through the EPA AMP account for a small share of the CO2 emissions used in this report.
The datasets report heat input and emissions data by fuel type at either the prime mover or boiler level. This report consolidates that data at the generating unit
and plant levels. In the case of jointly owned plants, because joint ownership is determined by producer’s share of installed capacity, assignment of CO2
emissions to the producers on this basis implicitly assumes that emission rates are uniform across the different units. This may cause producers to be assigned
emission figures that are slightly higher or lower than their actual shares.
Mercury Emissions
Mercury emissions data for coal power plants presented in this report were obtained from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Mercury emissions reported to
the TRI are based on emission factors, mass balance calculations, or data monitoring. The TRI contains facility-level information on the use and environmental
release of chemicals classified as toxic under the Clean Air Act. The TRI contains information on all toxic releases from a facility; mercury emissions in this
report are based on air releases only. Because coal plants are the primary source of mercury emissions within the electric industry, the mercury emissions and
emission rates presented in this report reflect the emissions associated with each producer’s fleet of coal plants only.
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Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Appendix: Carbon Content Coefficients by Fuel Type
From Annex 2 of EPA GHG Inventory 2018
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Fuel TypeCarbon Content Coefficients
(Tg Carbon/Qbtu)
Coal
Anthracite Coal 28.28
Bituminous Coal 25.44
Sub-bituminous Coal 26.50
Lignite Coal 26.65
Waste/Other Coal
(includes anthracite culm, bituminous gob, fine coal, lignite waste, waste coal)26.05
Coal-based Synfuel, including briquettes, pellets, or extrusions, which are formed by
binding materials or processes that recycle materials25.34
Coal-based Synthetic Gas 18.55
Oil
Distillate Fuel Oil
(Diesel, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 Fuel Oils)20.17
Jet Fuel 19.70
Kerosene 19.96
Residual Fuel Oil (No. 5, No. 6 Fuel Oils, and Bunker C Fuel Oil) 20.48
Waste/Other Oil
(including Crude Oil, Liquid Butane, Liquid Propane, Oil Waste, Re-Refined Motor Oil,
Sludge Oil, Tar Oil, or other petroleum-based liquid wastes)
20.55
Petroleum Coke 27.85
Gas
Natural Gas 14.46
Blast Furnace Gas 18.55
Other Gas 18.55
Gaseous Propane 14.46
Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Appendix: Quality Assurance
This report examines the air pollutant emissions of the 100 largest electricity generating companies in the United States based on 2016 electricity generation,
emissions, and ownership data. The report relies on publicly-available information reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), state environmental agencies, company websites, and media articles.
Emission data may include revisions to 2016 data that companies were in the process of submitting or have already submitted to EPA at the time of publication
of this report.
This report relies almost entirely on publicly available information. Data sets published by EIA and EPA are the primary source of the generation and emissions
data used in this report. The organizations that fund this report believe maintaining public access to this information is essential to tracking the industry’s
performance and making accurate and informed analyses and policy decisions.
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Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States
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Endnotes
1. Private entities include investor-owned and privately held utilities and non-utility power producers (e.g., independent power producers). Cooperative
electric utilities are owned by their members (i.e., the consumers they serve). Publicly-owned electric utilities are nonprofit government entities that are
organized at either the local or State level. There are also several Federal electric utilities in the United States, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority.
2. Power plant ownership in this report is divided into three categories: privately/investor owned (investor-owned corporations, privately held corporations,
foreign-owned corporations), public power (federal power authorities, state power authorities, municipalities, power districts), and cooperative.
3. Electric Sector Emissions data from EPA AMP database available at http:// http://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/
Generation data from EIA Monthly Energy Review Table 7.2a Electricity Generation Total for All Sectors available at
https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/#electricity
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis available at https://www.bea.gov/national/index.htm#gdp
The sources used in the Annual Trends figure have already made national-level 2017 data available, allowing the trends section to extend through 2017.
Detailed 2017 data used for the company-specific analysis of the top 100 electricity producers was not yet available at the time of report publication.
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