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Released May 22, 2023 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cracking down on toxic waste from coal-fired power plants. Last week, the agency said it would seek safer management of coal combustion residuals, better known as "coal ash," dumped at or near shuttered coal-fired power plants across the country. If adopted, the rule could force utilities and companies in areas currently unregulated by federal authorities to clean up the toxic substance to prevent contamination of groundwater. Industrial Info is tracking more than $10 billion worth of ash-pond closure projects across the U.S., about $4.5 billion of which is attributed to projects already underway.
Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 parent companies for coal ash closure projects across the U.S., by related investment value.
Coal ash, a byproduct of the combustion of coal at power-generation facilities, contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic associated with cancer and various other serious health effects, according to the EPA. In 2015, the Obama administration's EPA issued a rule required leaking, unlined coal ash impoundments to initiate closure and stop receiving waste. But the rule made an exception for "legacy" ponds and landfills tied to coal-fired plants that already had retired before the rule took effect.
In its announcement last week, the Biden administration's EPA noted that these "legacy" ash ponds are more likely to be unlined and unmonitored, thus more vulnerable to leaks and structural problems than those at active power plants. The agency plans to issue its final rule in June 2024. It expects about 280 coal ash ponds and landfills would be affected, out of more than 1,000 active sites nationwide, according to its announcement.
The single highest-valued ash-pond closure project already underway is at the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona. Once the largest coal-fired power plant west of the Mississippi River, Navajo generated up to 2.25 gigawatts (GW) before it was closed in 2019. Salt River Project (Tempe, Arizona), Arizona's second-largest electricity provider, is investing $800 million to close 17 ash ponds at the facility. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more from a detailed project report.
Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) leads all other plant parent companies in its investment in ash-pond closures. Its Rogers Energy Complex in Mooresboro, North Carolina, closed four of its coal-fired units in 2011, and later was altered to use a combination of coal and natural gas in its other units. In September 2022, Duke began site preparation for a $425 million closure of Rogers' primary ash pond, to comply with EPA regulations. Subscribers can learn more from Industrial Info's project report.
Similarly, Southern Company (NYSE:SO) (Atlanta, Georgia) began converting its Ernest C. Gaston Power Station in Wilsonville, Alabama, from purely coal to a combination of coal and natural gas about a decade ago. The company hopes to wrap up a $360 million ash-pond closure that started in 2019 toward the end of next year. Subscribers can learn more from Industrial Info's project report.
The EPA's proposed regulation is the result of a settlement with environmental groups that are seeking stronger oversight of toxic waste from power-generation facilities. EPA administrator Michael S. Regan said the rule would help to protect residential communities near older landfills, an overwhelming number of which are in the low-income bracket.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active ash-pond closure projects across the U.S.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 parent companies for coal ash closure projects across the U.S., by related investment value.Coal ash, a byproduct of the combustion of coal at power-generation facilities, contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic associated with cancer and various other serious health effects, according to the EPA. In 2015, the Obama administration's EPA issued a rule required leaking, unlined coal ash impoundments to initiate closure and stop receiving waste. But the rule made an exception for "legacy" ponds and landfills tied to coal-fired plants that already had retired before the rule took effect.
In its announcement last week, the Biden administration's EPA noted that these "legacy" ash ponds are more likely to be unlined and unmonitored, thus more vulnerable to leaks and structural problems than those at active power plants. The agency plans to issue its final rule in June 2024. It expects about 280 coal ash ponds and landfills would be affected, out of more than 1,000 active sites nationwide, according to its announcement.
The single highest-valued ash-pond closure project already underway is at the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona. Once the largest coal-fired power plant west of the Mississippi River, Navajo generated up to 2.25 gigawatts (GW) before it was closed in 2019. Salt River Project (Tempe, Arizona), Arizona's second-largest electricity provider, is investing $800 million to close 17 ash ponds at the facility. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more from a detailed project report.
Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) leads all other plant parent companies in its investment in ash-pond closures. Its Rogers Energy Complex in Mooresboro, North Carolina, closed four of its coal-fired units in 2011, and later was altered to use a combination of coal and natural gas in its other units. In September 2022, Duke began site preparation for a $425 million closure of Rogers' primary ash pond, to comply with EPA regulations. Subscribers can learn more from Industrial Info's project report.
Similarly, Southern Company (NYSE:SO) (Atlanta, Georgia) began converting its Ernest C. Gaston Power Station in Wilsonville, Alabama, from purely coal to a combination of coal and natural gas about a decade ago. The company hopes to wrap up a $360 million ash-pond closure that started in 2019 toward the end of next year. Subscribers can learn more from Industrial Info's project report.
The EPA's proposed regulation is the result of a settlement with environmental groups that are seeking stronger oversight of toxic waste from power-generation facilities. EPA administrator Michael S. Regan said the rule would help to protect residential communities near older landfills, an overwhelming number of which are in the low-income bracket.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active ash-pond closure projects across the U.S.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
