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EPA PARTNERSHIP WITH 48 UTILITIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING GAS
Release Date: 04/09/99
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1999
EPA PARTNERSHIP WITH 48 UTILITIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING GAS
EPA joins 48 electric utilities and local governments April 14 in a new partnership to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The program is officially called: SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems. SF6 is used in a variety of applications, including insulating material in electrical transmission and distribution equipment such as circuit breakers. SF6 has been recently identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as a persistent and potent greenhouse gas. Among all users of SF6, the partners are among the first to take steps to reduce emissions. Electric power systems that join the partnership must within 18 months come up with a technically and economically feasible emission reductions goal. They also agree to: estimate their emissions of SF6; establish a strategy for replacing older, leakier pieces of equipment; implement SF6 recycling; ensure that only knowledgeable workers handle SF6; and submit annual progress reports. EPA will be a clearinghouse for technical information on successful strategies to reduce emissions, serve as a repository for data on the emissions reduction achievements of the partners, and work to obtain commitments from all electric power system operators to join the Partnership. The Charter Partners, listed alphabetically by state, are: City Light, Water & Cable, Paragould, Ark.; Athens Electric Department, Athens, Ala.; Salt River Project, Phoenix, Ariz.; Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District, Wellton, Ariz.; Kings River Conservation District, Fresno, Calif.; PG & E Corp., San Francisco, Calif.; Connecticut Light and Power Co., Berlin, Conn.; Northeast Utilities Services Co., Hartford, Conn.; Town of Wallingford, Wallingford, Conn.; Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Southern Co., Atlanta, Ga.; Crisp County Power Commission, Cordele, Ga.; Muscatine Power and Water, Muscatine, Iowa; Commonwealth Edison, Chicago, Ill.; Big Rivers Electric Corp., Henderson, Ky.; Southwestern Electric Power Co., Shreveport, La.; Commonwealth Electric, Wareham, Mass.; Western Massachusetts Electric Co.,West Springfield, Mass.; Bangor Hydro Electric Co., Bangor, Maine; Central Maine Power Co., Augusta, Maine; Maine Public Service Co., Presque Isle, Maine; City of Rocky Mount, Rocky Mount, N.C.; Hastings Utilities, Hastings, Neb.; Grand Island Utilities Department, Grand Island, Neb.; North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation, Seabrook, N.H.; Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, Manchester, N.H.; Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc., N.Y.; American Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio; Cinergy Services, Inc., on behalf of The Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. and PSI Energy, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio; First Energy Corp., Akron, Ohio; OG&E Electric Services, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Ore.; Columbia River PUD, St. Helens, Ore.; Duquesne Light Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; GPU Energy, Reading, Pa.; El Paso Electric Co., El Paso, Texas; Reliant Energy - HL & P, Houston, Texas; San Antonio City Public Service Board, San Antonio, Texas; Texas Municipal Power Agency, Bryan, Texas; Texas Utilities Electric Co., Dallas, Texas; West Texas Utilities, Abilene, Texas; Central Vermont Public Service Corporation, Rutland, Vt.; PUD No. 1 of Pend Oreille County, Newport, Wash.; Manitowoc Public Utilities, Manitowoc, Wis.; Menasha Electric and Water Utilities, Menasha, Wis.; Consolidated Water Power Co., Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; Village of Prairie du Sac, Prairie du Sac, Wis.; and Wisconsin Electric Power Co., Milwaukee, Wis. For further technical information, phone Eric Dolin at 202-564-9044 or e-mail: [email protected].
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