Smog reducing technology could cost utility millions

In a bid to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute towards climate change and smog in Lincoln, Nebraska, US the area's electricity utility may have to spend millions of dollars. The Lincoln Electric System owns an 11 per cent stake in the coal-fired Laramie River Station and could be given an $83 million (£50.5 million) bill to reduce emissions.

The plant, which is owned by the city of Lincoln, provides the Lincoln Electric System with around ten per cent of its 1,710 megawatt capacity. However, the coal-fired plant also emits large amounts of emissions, which has prompted the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to work with the majority owner of the facility in a bid to improve air quality.

Currently the operations at the plant cause high levels of smog throughout Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain national parks. The EPA is hoping that by introducing measures to reduce emissions, the plant will help contribute towards improved visibility at the national parks. The measures that are introduced will be part of a regional program that aims to reduce smog at 156 wilderness areas and national parks under the Clean Air Act.

The Lincoln Electric System has already contributed $10 million towards the installation of air pollution control technologies at the plant. Equipment was put in place to cut down on the amount of nitrogen oxide that was being emitted, which is a major cause of smoggy conditions in the region. However, it is likely that the company will have to pay out further to make more improvements to the facility. 

A plan was previously proposed by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in a bid to reduce smog in the region. However, the plan was found by the EPA to be insufficient, which has created a new plan of action for reducing emissions at the Laramie River Station and other coal-fired plants throughout Wyoming. 

According to Tom Davlin, manager of projects engineering for Lincoln Electric System, the EPA's new plan is likely to cost around $330 million. However, other estimations of cost for the improvements have indicated that they could work out to be more than double this amount.