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How Much Is Enough? The rush to build new electric power plants is out of control, across the country and across Indiana. Nationwide it is estimated that over 51,000 megawatts of new electric generating capacity will be operating or under construction in 2001, enough to power 50 percent of the homes in the country. In Indiana, developers have proposed more than 11,000 megawatts of new capacity, with 6,352 megawatts already approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. For perspective, the already-approved plants would generate nearly 1,000 more new megawatts than the Indiana Utility Forecasting Group at Purdue University has estimated will be needed in Indiana by 2016. Some developers have withdrawn requests for siting merchant power plants in Indiana. But the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has not denied a single request to date. Two of the five IURC commissioners, Judith Ripley and Camie Swanson-Hull, have voted against the last five merchant power plant requests. Their concerns include the lack of emphasis in state policy on alternatives to building merchant power plants. "We are concerned that building merchant power plants has become the predominant, if not single, solution to the existing energy challenges," Ripley and Swanson-Hull wrote in their dissenting opinion on Cogentrix, an 800-plus megawatt plant approved near Bedford. " ... We are concerned about the significant reduction in DSM (energy efficiency) expenditures. And we are particularly concerned that conservation and energy efficiency are discussed only in the context of an immediate energy crisis." The other three commissioners -- Chairman William McCarty, David Ziegner and David Hadley -- continue voting for new plants. The following tables show the number of merchant power plants that are proposed, approved or on line in Indiana and surrounding states. Not depicted is the potential water usage of the gas-fired merchant power plants. Depending on design, they can use up to one million gallons per 100 megawatts per day at full capacity. Merchant power plants approved or under review
Source: State Utility Forecasting Group at Purdue University and Energy Ventures Analysis (consulting firm) Currently Opearating
Source: Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management Approved, Not Opearating
Source: Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management Under Review
Source: Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management 1) PM means particulate matter. Particulate matter causes lung damage. Most of the particulate matter emitted from the gas-fired plants is of the smallest size, the most damaging kind of particles. 2) SOx means sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain and is a major source of particulate matter. 3) NOx means nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide causes ground level ozone formation or smog. It causes lung damage. 4) VOC means volatile organic chemicals. These can be a vast range of chemicals, which take different forms of toxicity. 5) CO means carbon monoxide. 6) HAPs means hazardous air pollutants. These are so designated by the U.S. EPA as a result of their potent toxicity. 7) Mercury is highly toxic to fetuses and children. Indiana has fish consumption warnings for all rivers because of mercury contamination. 8) Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen and sensitizes the immune system to other chemicals. It is estimated that 1/70th of a table spoon can render the fish in a 25 acre lake inedible. 9) Gas means natural gas. 10) Some of the plants have permits to use either natural gas or another fuel. Diesel or fuel oil is preferred. However, EnviroPower plans to burn either coal or coal waste.
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