Cleaning Up Our Act: Wind Power Offsets Power Plant Emissions

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. EIA is the nation's premier source of energy information and, by law, its data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. Government.

The EIA publishes state specific information about electric generation, cost of electricity, and power plant emissions.[1] When it comes to emissions of pollutants like Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide, Indiana ranks 4th (that’s 4th most polluting). The EIA reports the emissions of 7.2 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide and 2.1 pounds of Nitrogen Oxide for every MWh of electricity produced by power plants in Indiana.

The proposed Marshall / Fulton County wind farm would generate approximately 306,600 MWh of electricity annually, while generating no waste and emitting zero pollution. That translates to an annual offset of approximately 2,207,520 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide and 643,860 pounds of Nitrogen Oxide. Not to mention the elimination of other greenhouse gases and other pollutants such as mercury.

Are you wondering if that’s a good thing? Short-term exposures to SO2 are linked to an array of adverse respiratory effects, particularly in at-risk populations including children, the elderly, and asthmatics. Emissions that lead to high concentrations of SO2 generally also lead to the formation of other SOx. Control measures that reduce SO2 can generally be expected to reduce people’s exposures to all gaseous SOx. SOx can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles, which pose significant public health threats. These particles penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen respiratory disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis, and can aggravate existing heart disease, leading to increased hospital admissions and premature death.[2]

[1] http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/indiana.html
[2] http://www.epa.gov/air/sulfurdioxide/health.html