United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-94/196
December 1994
EPA Project Summary
Graphical Representations of
1991 Steam-Electric Power Plant
Operation and Air Emissions
Data
Susan S. Rothschild and Janice Chen
For over 10 years the U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy (DOE) Energy Informa-
tion Administration (EIA) has collected
monthly boiler level data from Form
EIA-767 (Steam-Electric Plant Operation
and Design Report). The U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) has
contributed funding to DOE for this
effort. The full report presents sum-
mary data from the 1991 EIA-767 data-
base for public information. The report
summarizes information from the EIA-
767 database that is otherwise not
readily available to the community of
electric utility data users or other mem-
bers of the general public. To facilitate
ease of interpretation by nontechnical
readers, the report emphasizes graphi-
cal displays of data, including 98 charts
and 3 tables. The graphics present na-
tional data, national coal data, regional
data, specified state data, and speci-
fied operating utility company data.
Data tables show sulfur dioxide (SO2)
and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by
state, and the highest emitting electric
utility companies. Charts show SO2 and
NOx emissions by fuel type, fuel type
and sulfur content, and fuel type and
boiler capacity. Charts also present
data on boiler utilization, and heat in-
put by fuel type and sulfur content.
Additional charts for coal display coal
quantities by sulfur content, quantities
of scrubbed and not scrubbed coal,
and boiler capacity and utilization.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
In 1980, the electric utility industry in
the U.S. accounted for 67% of all U.S.
emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and 30%
of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
As a result of Title IV (Acid Rain/Deposi-
tion) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amend-
ments (CAAAs), electric utilities will be
expected to account for 8.7 million tons
(87%) of the SO2 emission reductions and
2 million tons (100%) of the NOx emission
reductions by the year 2010. Thus, there
is heightened interest in electric utility data
that are currently available for review and
analysis.
For over 10 years the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Ad-
ministration (EIA) has collected monthly
boiler level data from the Form EIA-767
(Steam-Electric Plant Operation and De-
sign Report). The U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA) has contributed fund-
ing to DOE for this effort. Data from EIA-
767 are available through 1991. Typically,
these data have been used by EPA in the
past for purposes such as development of
the National Utility Reference File for the
National Acid Precipitation Assessment
Program, annual production of National
Air Pollutant Emission Estimates re-
ports, and development of an interim 1990
national emissions database to support
regional oxidant modeling activities. The
data have also been used in the develop-
ment of the National Allowance Database
to support new acid deposition regulatory
requirements of Title IV of the CAAAs.
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The full report summarizes data from
the most recent EIA-767 database for pub-
lic information. The report analyzes and
summarizes information from the EIA-767
database that is otherwise not readily avail-
able to the community of electric utility
data users or other members of the gen-
eral public. To facilitate ease of use and
interpretation by nontechnical readers, the
report emphasizes graphical displays of
data.
Methods
All electric utility companies with plants
that have at least one operating fossil-fuel
steam boiler of at least 10 MW are re-
quired to provide information to EIA on
EIA-767, although the amount of data re-
quired from plants with less than 100 MW
of steam-electric generating capacity is
much less. EIA-767 is a multipage form
that includes plant, boiler, generator, air
pollution control system, and stack level
data. For plants with nameplate ratings of
at least 10 to less than 100 MW, only
selected pages of the EIA-767 must be
completed. (Stack and flue information is
not required for these smaller plants.)
The data reported on EIA-767 are com-
piled into an electronic form. The master
database is available on EPA's mainframe
IBM computer using customized software
written in the Statistical Analysis System
(SAS) software package. To complete the
graphics for this report, the EIA-767 data
were converted into a database form. Each
"page" format is reproduced on the com-
puter file exactly as it appears on the
written page of the form. The data from
each page must be extracted from the
computer file, associated with the correct
boiler, and combined with all correspond-
ing data from the other pages for that
boiler. Calculated fields are added to the
database to store values such as emis-
sions, which are not present on the EIA-
767 pages. Emissions calculations rely
upon Compilation of Air Pollutant Emis-
sion Factors (AP-42) emission factors
together with EIA-767 data for fuel
amounts burned, fuel sulfur contents, fuel
heat input values, and control device effi-
ciencies to estimate emissions.
Separate data files that include only the
database records and data elements nec-
essary to produce graphics were created
S. Rothschild and J. Chen are with E.H. Pechan and Associates, Inc., Springfield,
VA 22151.
Charles O. Mann is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Graphical Representations of 1991 Steam-Electric
Power Plant Operation and Air Emissions Data,"(Order No. PB95-136156;Cost:
$27.00, subject to change) will be available only from
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
and downloaded from the mainframe to
the PC. These files were input into
Microsoft Excel, a personal computer soft-
ware package with spreadsheet and graph-
ics capabilities. The figures of the report
were produced using standard Excel chart-
ing capabilities.
Results
There are 98 charts and 3 tables pre-
sented in the report to describe the 1991
EIA-767 data. Different chart types are
used both to better describe the data and
to vary the presentation. The graphics were
produced and grouped to represent na-
tional data, national coal data, regional
data, specified state data, and specified
operating utility company data. Data pre-
sented in tables include state SO2 and
NOx emissions by state, and the highest
emitting electric utility companies. Data
presented in the charts include SO2 and
NOx emissions by fuel type, fuel type and
sulfur content, and fuel type and boiler
capacity. Charts also present data on boiler
utilization and heat input by fuel type and
sulfur content. Additional charts are shown
for coal, which display coal quantities by
sulfur content, quantities of scrubbed and
not scrubbed coal, and boiler capacity and
utilization.
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/SR-94/196
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