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# OAR Box 1787 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



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Number: 

# 96 ) ll-C-5 4 Docket Number: 

# A-90-3 7

Printed 11/4/2008 10:22:20 AM

Sheet 96 of 147P. 2 

# .o . \ UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENCY Offic e o f Ai rQualityPlannin g an d Standard s Researc h Triangl e Park , Nort h Carolin a 2771 1

February15 , 199

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# Iff ^"01998 jjilj Mr . Roge r L . Swingl e Manager , Environmenta l Program s Sola r Turbine s Incorporate d P.O . Bo x 8537 6 Sa n Diego , Californi a 92186-537 6 " * * iE*» ^ Dea r Mr . Swingle : Thi s i s i n respons e t o you r February2 , 199 4 lette r transmittin g a study , commissione d b ySola r Turbine s an d conducte d b

ySierr a Research , entitle d "Compariso n o f Emission s fromGa s Turbine s an d Alternativ e Powe r Generatio n Options. " Th e stud yclaim s tha t drylow nitroge n oxide s turbine s withou t selectiv e catalyti c reductio n provid e a greate r overal l environmenta l benefi t tha n othe r projec t alternatives , suc h a s interna l combustio n engine s o r electri c motors . A s yo u poin t out , th e 199 0 Clea n Ai r Ac t (CAA ) Amendment s mad e numerou s statutorychange s t o bot h Par t C (Preventio n o f Significan t Deterioration ) an d D (Plan Requirement s fo r Nonattainmen t Areas ) o f th e CAA . Th e EPAi s revisin g th e ne w sourc e revie w (NSR ) regulation s t o reflec t thes e statutor y changes . I n you r letter , yo u particularl ynot e th e NS R alternativ e sitin g analysi s whic h i s require d prio r t o th e issuanc e o f a permi t t o construc t a majo r sourc e i n a nonattainmen t area . Thi s analysi s mus t conside r alternativ e sites , sizes , productio n processes , an d environmenta l contro l technique s fo r th e propose d source , an d demonstrat e tha t benefit s o f th e propose d sourc e significantl youtweigh th e environmenta l an d socia l cost s impose d a s a resul t o f it s location , construction , o r modification . I n it s upcomin g rulemakin g package , EPAwil l b e addressin g thi s analysis . Th e informatio n provide d b

yyou r stud

ywil l b e take n int o consideratio n durin g th e developmen t o f th e rulemaking . I f yo u hav e additiona l question s o n th e Par t C an d D rulemakin g package , pleas e contac t Mik e Sewel l o f m ystaf f a t (919 ) 541-0873 .

Davi d Solomon , Chie f Ne w Sourc e Revie w Sectio n Permit s Program s Branc hP. 3

Sola rTurbine s Incorporate

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# SolarTurbines
A Caterpillar

Company
Februar y 2 , 199 4
Mr
. Davi d Solomon , M D -1 5 U.S
. EP A Office of Ai rQualit

yPlannin g Researc h Triangl e Park , N C 2771 1 Dea rMr
. Solomon : A recentl ycomplete d stud ybySierr a Research , a nationall yrecognize d environmenta l consultin g firm , ha s conclude d tha t ga s turbine s usin g dry , low NO x(DLN ) combustio n technolog yproduc e fewe rnitroge n oxide s (NOx ) pe runi t of powe rtha n eithe r reciprocatin g engine s o rfossil-fuele d utilit yplant s associate d wit h electri c motors
. Entitle d "Compariso n o f Emission s fro m Ga s Turbine s an d Alternative Powe rGeneratio n Options, " th e stud ywa s commissione d b ySola rTurbine s Incorporated , a Sa n Diego , Californi a manufacture rof smal l t o mediu m siz e stationar yga s turbine s use d b

yindustrie s i n nearl y 8 0 nations
. Th e stud yals o indicate s tha t NO xemission s fro m combustio n turbine s wit h DL N technolog ygenerall yar e lowe rtha n thos e produce d b yelectri c utilit

y generatin g plants
. Sola rfeel s tha t th e attache d repor t furthe rsupport s th e nee d fo rNe w Sourc e Reform , especiall ywhe n permittin g withi n a non-attainmen t area . Sola rTurbine s commissione d th e stud yi n orde rt o examin e th e environmenta l "opportunitycost " represente d byth e EPA' s curren t permittin g polic yfo rnon-attainmen t areas . I t has bee n ou robservatio n tha t i n som e case s wher e permittin g agencie s hav e take n a n absolute , unwaverin g positio n tha t ne w o rmodifie d project s i n non-attainmen t area s must resor

t t o th e maximu m degre e of "end-of-pipe " emission s control , the ymigh t b e contributin g t o a deterioration i n ai rquality ; certainly , not thei rintent
. I n non-attainmen t areas , ai rboard s are requirin g owner s o f ne w smal l ga s turbine s t o meet NO xlimit s of 9 pp m o rlowe ri n orde rt o ge t a n operatin g permit
. Becaus e suc h stringen t level s ca n b e me t onl ywit h end-of-pip e control s lik e Selective Catalyti c Reductio n (SCR) , whe n customers com e face-to-fac e wit h th e hig h cost s of SCR , they usuall y selec

t othe ralternatives-lik e reciprocatin g engine s o relectri c motors-which , a s th e repor t reflects , ar

e les s generall yenvironmentall ybeneficial
. Th e Clea n Ai rAc

t Amendments of 199 0 require permittin g authoritie s t o conside rnot onl y alternative site s fo rprojects , bu t als o alternative processes . W e believe tha t th eP. 4

environmenta l communit

ywil l agre e wit h ou rrecommendatio n that thi s requirement , whic h i s expecte d t o b e incorporate d i n th e propose d ne w NS R regulation s du e t o b e publishe d i n th e Federa l Registe rb yas earl yas mid-1994 , wil l recogniz e th e finding s o f Sierra' s study , i.e. , tha t dr

ylow NO xturbine s withou t SC R provid e a greate roveral l environmenta l benefi t tha n th e alternatives
. I n regard t o man yregion s of th e country , i t i s importan t t o poin t ou t that althoug h th e us e of ga s turbine s mos t likel ywoul d displac e electricitygenerate d bycoal-fire d sources , th e stud yassume d that al l th e state s i n thos e region s woul d adop t extremel ylow Reasonabl y Availabl e Contro l Technolog y(RACT ) level s fo rcoal-fire d utilit yboilers
. Th e Northeast State s fo rCoordinate d Ai rUs e Managemen t (NESCAUM ) has recommende d adoptio n o f ver y stringen t RAC

T levels ; however , non e o f thos e state s ha s ye t propose d imposin g suc h sever

e level s i n thei rpendin g RAC T rules
. Eve n i f suc h low level s wer e adopte d withou t bein g contested , whic h w e fee l i s unlikely , th e displacemen t of coal-fire d emission s bynatura l gas-fire d turbine s definitel ywoul d reduc e emission s of sulfu rdioxid e (S0 2 ) an d carbo n dioxid e (C0 2 )
. Th e attache d stud yconcentrate d o n NO xan d mad e n o attemp t t o conside rothe rai rpollutants
. Sincerely , ^'7 /tM-u^L-..•%ftk Roge rL
. Swingl e Manager , Environmenta l Program s Enc l - Sierr

a Researc h Repor

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t No . SR93-12-0 1


# Compariso n o

f Emission s fro m Ga s Turbine s an d Alternative Powe r Generatio n Option s


# £ F ^
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^ prepare d for :



# Sola r Turbine s Incorporate d

Decembe r1 , 199 3

prepare d by : Sierr a Research , Inc
. 180 1 J Street Sacramento , Californi a 9581 4 (916)444-666 6 

# J