Introduction

Most Americans think of electricity as “clean” and are shocked to learn that power plants are the single worst industrial contributor to air pollution in the United States. Power plants contribute 70% of the sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2), 33% of nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx), 23% of mercury emissions, and 35% of man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. (Source: Natural Resources Defense Council)

When the federal Clean Air Act was enacted over 30 years ago, during the Nixon administration, big utility companies successfully lobbied against stringent controls by saying the oldest, dirtiest power plants would soon be replaced by new state-of-the-art facilities. Many of those outdated facilities, which were already old in 1970, are still in use. In some cases, power plants from 1922 are still in operation and do not meet the environmental requirements that every new facility must follow. Because of this 1970 loophole in the law, dirty plants have been “grandfathered” from following the air pollution controls required by the Clean Air Act for new power plants.

These old plants “legally” pollute the air at rates of 2 to13 times higher than new plants with modern emissions controls. It is now up to the states to plug this loophole. The Clean Power Act will eliminate the loophole and cut power plant emissions of the four major pollutants (SO2, NOx, mercury, and CO2). Power plants will have a five-year window to reduce emissions of:

• Sulfur dioxide, the chief cause of acid rain, by 75%
• Nitrogen oxides, the chief cause of ozone smog, by 75%
• Mercury, which poisons humans and wildlife, by 90%
• Carbon dioxide, the chief cause of global warming, to 1990 levels

This web site offers the tools necessary to introduce and pass legislation to reduce these four pollutants from energy companies in your state. These tools include a sample bill, talking points, press clips, a fact pack, links, and other background information.

We may have other useful materials on this subject, which are not posted on our web site. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call our office in Madison, Wisconsin, at (608) 252-9800.

If you’ve used this site and found it helpful or, if you have suggestions about how it could be made more helpful, please let us know. Feel free to use the sample bill text included here in your state. If you do, please notify us.