(Adopted: 02/22/95; Amended: 09/28/09) 

MDAQMD Rule 1159 1159-1

Stationary Gas Turbines 

RULE 1159 

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(A) General 

(1) Purpose: 

(a) The purpose of this rule is to limit the emission of oxides of nitrogen from 

commercial, industrial and institutional Stationary Gas Turbines. 

(2) Applicability: 

(a) This rule applies to any new or existing non-utility, commercial, industrial 

or institutional Stationary Gas Turbine of 0.3 megawatt (MW) and larger 

unless the equipment is exempt from this rule pursuant to Section (D) of 

this rule. 

(B) Definitions 

(1) “Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO)” – The person appointed to the position of 

Air Pollution Control Officer of the District pursuant to the provisions of 

California Health & Safety Code §40750, and his or her designee. 

(2) “Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS)” – All of the equipment that 

may be required to meet the data acquisition and availability requirements of this 

rule, to sample, condition (if applicable), analyze, and provide a record of 

emissions on a continuous basis. 

(3) “Dry Low NOX Combustion Technology (DLN)” – Any turbine combustor design 

which uses multiple staging, air/fuel premixing or other modifications to achieve 

lower levels of NOX emissions as compared to conventional combustors. 

(4) “Emission Control System Operating Parameters” – Any operating parameter(s) 

that the District deems necessary to analyze for the determination of compliance. 

Such parameters include, but are not limited to, the ammonia and gas flow rates, 

the exhaust temperature for the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), humidity, 

water injection rate, exhaust gas flow rate and the temperature for water injection. 

(5) “Emergency Standby Unit” – Any Stationary Gas Turbine that operates as a 

mechanical or electrical power source for a facility only when the primary power 

source has been rendered inoperable due to failure beyond the reasonable control 

of the operator. A power interruption pursuant to a voluntary interruptible power 

supply agreement is not to be considered as an emergency loss of primary power. 

Electricity generated by such a unit cannot be sold. 
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Stationary Gas Turbines 

(6) “Emission Control Equipment” – Add-on technologies which control the turbine's

emissions, including, but not limited to, Selective Catalytic Control (SCR), water 

injection, steam injection, but excluding DLN. 

(7) “Enhanced Emissions Monitoring Device” – Any automated data recording device 

or system having both data gathering and retrieval capabilities. Such equipment 

includes, but is not limited to, Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems 

(CEMS) and Predictive Emissions Monitoring Systems (PEMS). 

(8) “Higher Heating Value (HHV)” – The Higher Heating Value of the fuel. 

(9) “Lower Heating Value (LHV)” – The Lower Heating Value of the fuel. 

(10) “Measured NOX Emissions Concentration” – The concentration of oxides of 

nitrogen corrected to International Standards Organization (ISO) standard 

conditions: 

NOX = (NOX obs)(Pref/Pobs)0.5 (288 K/Tamb)1.53 (e19(Hobs-0.00633)) 

Where: NOX = emissions of NOX at 15 percent oxygen and ISO standard 

conditions on a dry basis, ppm. 

NOX obs = measured NOX emissions corrected to 15 percent 

oxygen on a dry basis, ppm. 

Pref = standard reference pressure, (14.696 psia). 

Pobs = measured site ambient absolute pressure, psia. 

Hobs = measured humidity of ambient air, pounds water per pound 

dry air. 

e = transcendental constant (2.718) 

Tamb = measured temperature of ambient air, degrees K. 

or an alternate calculation that corrects to ISO standard conditions 

and is approved by the APCO. 

(11) “Power Augmentation” – An increase in the gas turbine shaft output and/or the 

decrease in gas turbine fuel consumption by the addition of energy recovered from 

exhaust heat. 

(12) “Predictive Emissions Monitoring System (PEMS)” – All of the equipment 

necessary to monitor process and control device operational parameters (for 

example, control device secondary voltages and electric currents) and other 

information (for example, gas flow rate, O2 or CO2 concentrations), and calculate 

and record the mass emissions rate (for example, lb/hr) on a continuous basis. 

(13) “Public Service Unit” – A Stationary Gas Turbine used to generate electricity for 

sale or for use in serving the public. 
MDAQMD Rule 1159 1159-3

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(14) “Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT)” – The lowest emission 

limitation that a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of 

control technology that is reasonably available considering technological and 

economic feasibility. 

(15) “Rating” – The continuous megawatt (MW) Rating or mechanical equivalent by a 

manufacturer for gas turbine(s) without Power Augmentation. 

(16) “Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)” – A noncombustion control technology 

that destroys NOX by injecting a reducing agent (e.g., ammonia) into the flue gas 

that, in the presence of a catalyst (e.g., vanadium, titanium, or zeolite), converts 

NOX into molecular nitrogen and water. 

(17) “Shutdown Period” – The period of time during which a unit is taken from an 

operational to a non-operational status by allowing it to cool down from its operating 

temperature to ambient temperature as the fuel supply to the unit is completely turned 

off. 

(18) “Startup Period” – The period of time during which a unit is brought from a 

Shutdown status to its operating temperature and pressure, including the time 

required by the unit’s emission control system to reach full operation. 

(19) “Stationary Gas Turbine or Unit” – Any gas turbine system that is gas and/or 

liquid fueled with or without Power Augmentation. This unit is either attached to 

a foundation at a facility or is portable equipment operated at a specific facility for 

more than 90 days in any 12-month period. Two or more gas turbines powering 

one shaft shall be treated as one unit. 

(20) “Thermal Stabilization Period” – The Startup or Shutdown Period necessary to 

bring the heat recovery steam generator to the proper operating temperature, not to 

exceed two hours. 

(21) “Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)” – Any compound of carbon, excluding 

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, 

and ammonium carbonate, which participates in atmospheric photochemical 

reactions and those compounds listed in 40 CFR 51.100(s)(1). 

(C) Standards 

(1) The owner or operator of any affected Stationary Gas Turbine Unit shall not 

operate such unit under load conditions, excluding the Thermal Stabilization 

Period and Startup and Shutdown Periods which results in the Measured NOX

Emissions Concentration exceeding the emissions limits set forth below: 

(a) For Stationary Gas Turbines which are not subject to the alternative 

federal NOX RACT limits of Subsection (C)(1)(b) and (c), the federal NOX

and Carbon Monoxide (CO) RACT limits in Table 1 apply: 
1159-4 MDAQMD Rule 1159 

Stationary Gas Turbines 

Table 1 

NOX and CO Compliance Limits 

NOX Compliance Limit, 

Control ppmv at 15% Oxygen 

Operating 

hours per 

year 

Rating 

Gas Fuel Liquid Fuel

CO 

Compliance 

Limit, ppmv at 

15% Oxygen 

SCR + DLN > 877 > 10 MW 5 25 200 

DLN > 877 2 – 10 MW 25 65 200 

SCR > 877 

2 – 10 MW 

(no DLN 

available) 

35 65 200 

DLN > 877 < 2 MW 42 50 250 

SCR or DLN < 877 > 10 MW 25 42 200 

(b) For the Southern California Gas Company Turbine Model LM 1500, the 

following alternative federal NOX RACT limit shall apply: 

(i) 90 ppmv NOX when fired with gaseous fuel. 

(c) For the Southern California Gas Company Turbine General Electric Model 

Frame 3, the following alternative federal NOX RACT limit shall apply: 

(i) 225 ppmv NOX when fired with gaseous fuel, achieved through 

good combustion practices. 

(d) For the Westend Model PQ 5191, the following alternative federal NOX

RACT limit shall apply: 

(i) 42 ppmv NOX achieved with an SCR when fired with gaseous fuel.

(e) For the purposes of these emissions limits the following conventions are 

applicable: 

(i) Gas includes natural, digester and landfill gases. 

(ii) Oil includes kerosene, jet fuel, and distillate. The sulfur content of 

the oil shall be less than 0.05%. 

(iii) NOX = emissions of NOX, in ppmv, corrected to 15 percent oxygen 

and ISO standard conditions on a dry basis, averaged over any 

consecutive 15 minute period. 

(2) The owner or operator of any Stationary Gas Turbine subject to (C)(1)(a) shall 

submit to the APCO for approval, an Emission Control Plan (ECP) for the 

purpose of establishing compliance with provisions of this rule. 

(3) The owner or operator of any Stationary Gas Turbine subject to (C)(1) shall 

minimize emissions insofar as technologically feasible during Thermal 

Stabilization Periods. 
MDAQMD Rule 1159 1159-5

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(D) Exemptions 

(1) The provisions of Section (C) of this rule shall not apply to the operation of: 

(a) Laboratory units used in research and testing for the advancement of gas 

turbine technology. 

(b) Units operated exclusively for fire fighting and/or flood control. 

(c) Stationary Gas Turbines operating as an electric utility which are subject 

to Rule 1158. 

(2) The provisions of this rule, with the exception of Section (F)(2), shall not apply to 

the operation of Stationary Gas Turbines used under the following conditions: 

(a) Emergency Standby Units demonstrated to operate less than 200 hours per 

calendar year. 

(b) Portable, turntable, or track mounted turbines whose operation generates 

intermittent, high velocity air flow for live fire sustainability, lethality, 

aerodynamic, cookoff, or remote control operation testing only. 

(3) The provisions of section (F)(1) and (H) shall not apply to the Southern California 

Gas Company Turbine General Electric Model Frame 3.

(E) Administrative Requirements 

(1) The Emission Control Plan (ECP) required pursuant to section (C)(2) shall, at a 

minimum, include the following information if such information is applicable: 

(a) A list of all Stationary Gas Turbines required to be controlled pursuant to 

this rule. 

(b) For each Stationary Gas Turbine listed: 

(i) District identification number, and District Permit to Operate 

number; 

(ii) Name of the gas turbine manufacturer; 

(iii) Equipment model number; 

(iv) Manufacturer's rated shaft power output (MW); 

(v) Type of liquid fuel and/or type of gaseous fuel; 

(vi) HHV for each fuel; 

(vii) Heat rate ((Btu/kW-hr), corrected to the HHV) for each type of fuel 

(gas or liquid) for each turbine; 

(viii) Monthly fuel consumption for the previous twelve-month period 

(cubic feet for gas; gallons for liquid); 

(ix) Monthly hours of operation in the previous twelve-month period; 
1159-6 MDAQMD Rule 1159 

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(x) The type of NOX x Emission Control Equipment, including any 

auxiliary equipment related to the control of emissions, to be 

applied; 

(xi) Documentation showing the current (existing) concentration and 

mass rate of emissions of oxides of nitrogen from the unit; 

(xii) A schedule with specified increments of progress dates for 

construction of Emission Control Equipment, operational 

milestones for implementation of emissions control and/or 

installation of monitoring equipment; and 

(xiii) A final compliance date. 

(F) Monitoring and Recordkeeping Requirements 

(1) The owner or operator of any Stationary Gas Turbine required to install Emissions 

Control Equipment for compliance with this rule shall: 

(a) Install, operate, and maintain in calibration, the following monitoring 

equipment, as approved by the APCO: 

(i) Continuous measurement and recording of Emissions Control 

System Operating Parameters; 

(ii) Continuous measurement and recording of elapsed time of 

operation; and

(iii) An Enhanced Emissions Monitoring Device. 

(b) Notify the APCO, in writing, before issuance of the Permit To Operate, 

such information which correlates the Emission Control System Operating 

Parameters, and PEMS if present, to the associated measured NOX

emissions output. This information will be used to determine compliance 

with applicable provisions of this rule for non-CEMS-equipped turbines 

and CEMS-equipped units when the CEMS is not operating properly. 

(c) Provide, on an annual basis, compliance testing data and information 

regarding NOX emissions. The data shall be corrected to ISO conditions 

and at 15 percent oxygen on a dry basis; and the percent efficiency (EFF) 

of each turbine unit. 

(2) The owner/operator of any Stationary Gas Turbine shall: 

(a) On a daily basis, maintain a turbine operating log that includes, as a 

minimum, the following information: 

(i) The total hours of operation per day; 

(ii) The accumulated hours of operation per calendar month; 

(iii) The type and quantity of fuel used; and 

(iv) The nature of operation of the unit (exempt or non-exempt). 
MDAQMD Rule 1159 1159-7

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(b) The operating log required to be kept pursuant to this rule shall be kept 

current and on site for a minimum of two years; and provided to District or 

state personnel on request. 

(G) Notification Requirements for Exempt and Emergency Standby Units 

(1) Any Stationary Gas Turbine unit which is exempt or claimed to be exempt 

pursuant to subsection (D)(2) shall: 

(a) Notify the APCO within seven (7) days if the hour-per-year threshold is 

exceeded. 

(i) If the hour-per-year threshold is exceeded, the exemption pursuant 

to subsection (D)(2) shall be permanently withdrawn. 

(ii) If the hour-per-year threshold is exceeded the owner/operator shall, 

within 30 days of the notification, submit an application for a 

Permit to Operate to the District. Such application shall including a 

plan detailing actions and a schedule of progress to meet the 

applicable RACT limits and provisions of this rule within 18 

months after the date of the notification; an Emission Control Plan 

conforming to the requirements of Section (E) for the emissions 

control equipment. 

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections (F)(2) and (G)(1) above, A Public 

Service Unit shall not be subject to the hour-per-year threshold when: 

(a) Such unit is operating during a state of emergency declared by a 

proclamation of the Governor of the State of California; and 

(b) Such unit is located within the specific geographic location identified in 

the state of emergency proclamation. 

(H) Test Methods 

(1) Compliance testing shall be subject to the protocols prescribed in the District's 

Compliance Procedural Manual. 

(2) The following test methods shall be used to determine compliance with the 

provisions of this rule. 

(a) NOX emissions shall be determined by EPA Test Method 20. 

(b) The Higher Heating Value (HHV) and the Lower Heating Value (LHV) 

shall be determined by the appropriate method for the fuel type listed 

below: 
1159-8 MDAQMD Rule 1159 

Stationary Gas Turbines 

(i) For liquid fuels: 

a. ASTM Test Method D 240-87 (Standard Test Method for 

Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb 

Calorimeter). 

(ii) For distillate fuel: 

a. ASTM Test Method D 2382-88 (Standard Test Method for 

Heat of Combustion of Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb 

Calorimeter - High Precision Method); or,

(iii) For gaseous fuels: 

a. ASTM Test Method D 3588-91 (Standard Practice for 

Calculation Heat Value, Compressibility Factor, and

Relative Density (Specific Gravity) of Gaseous Fuels); or 

b. ASTM Test Method D 1826-88 (Standard test Method for 

Caloric (Heating) Value of Gases in Natural Gas Range by 

Continuous Recording Calorimeter); or 

c. ASTM Test Method D 1945-81 (Standard Method for 

Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography). 

(I) Compliance Schedule

(1) The owner/operator of any existing Stationary Gas Turbine subject to the 

provisions of Section (C)(1)(a) above shall comply with the following increments 

of progress: 

(a) An Emissions Control Plan shall be submitted to the District within 90 

days of rule adoption. The District shall approve the Plan within 30 days 

of submission. 

(b) Any affected turbine shall be in full compliance with all applicable 

provisions of the rule within 12 months of rule adoption. 

(c) Demonstrate final compliance with all applicable standards and 

requirements of the rule within six months of the installation of the NOX 

reduction technology. 

(2) The owner/operator of any new Stationary Gas Turbine subject to the provisions 

of Section (C) shall comply as of the date of adoption of this rule. 

[SIP: Submitted as amended mm/dd/yy on mm/dd/yy; Approved 4/9/96, 61 FR 15719, 40 CFR 

52.220(c)(216)(I)(A)(3)]