the western regional air partnership (wrap) wrap formed in 1997 as the successor organization to...
TRANSCRIPT
The Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP)
WRAP formed in 1997 as the successor organization to Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC)
– Partnership of states, tribes, and federal agencies
– Make decision through consensus
– Stakeholders are active in a wide variety of subcommittees – technical & policy
WRAP membership includes 13 states with equal membership on the Board for tribes in the region
– Staffed and administered by Western Governors’ Association and National Tribal Environmental Council
WRAP’s primary purpose is to develop technical tools and programs to help members reduce haze and comply with the federal regional haze rule
Other air quality issues raised by WRAP members may also be addressed
Federal Regional Haze Rule
Final rule published July 1, 1999 to protect visibility at 156 Class I areas (national parks and wilderness areas) nationwide
– 119 of these Class I areas are in the West
Goal is to achieve natural conditions by 2064
State plans demonstrating reasonable progress toward the goal of natural conditions at each area are due to EPA by December 2007
Plans must show improvement on 20% worst days through 2018 (first planning period) and no degradation on 20% best days
Plans must implement Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) or an alternative program for certain industrial sources, including power plants, built between 1962 and 1977
Sources of Haze in the West
NOx and SO2 emissions from industrial sources– Power plants, refineries, oil and gas, etc.
Mobile Sources– On and off road, gas and diesel
Fire– Wildfire and prescribed fire (wildland and ag land)
Dust– Windblown, construction, mining, and agriculture
The Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC)
GCVTC examined “regional haze” at 16 Class I areas on the Colorado Plateau
Issued final report and recommendations in 1996
– 50 – 70 % reduction in industrial source SO2 emissions from 1990 levels by 2040
– Renewable energy goals: 10% by 2005 and 20% by 2015
– Enhanced smoke management programs for fire
– New federal standards for mobile source emissions
– State and local strategies to reduce dust
WRAP is charged with implementing the Commission recommendations
Section 309 Regional Haze Plans
EPA’s Regional Haze Rule provided an option for 9 Western states to satisfy some of the rule requirements by implementing the GCVTC recommendations
Rule required ...
– WRAP to submit an Annex to the GCVTC report by October 1, 2000 containing details of SO2 program
– Plans implementing all of the recommendations had to be submitted to EPA by December 31, 2003
Five states submitted Section 309 plans
– AZ, NM, OR, UT, and WY
– Account for 75% of the SO2 emissions in the 9-state region
– These are the first plans ever completed to address regional haze
WRAP’s SO2 Annex
Developed by WRAP’s “Market Trading Forum”, which included state, tribal, federal, industry, and environmental representatives
Adopted by consensus of WRAP Board in September 2000
Sets declining SO2 milestones for 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018– Covers all sources >100 tpy– Consistent with GCVTC goal of 50% to 70% reduction by 2040– Satisfies regional haze SO2 BART requirement for covered sources
Reductions achieved through voluntary actions with a backstop cap and trade program if goals are not met
– Compliance costs reduced by 40% relative to command-and-control
Contains provisions designed to provide economic equity to tribes
– 20,000 tons per year for tribes if trading program is triggered
Annex Milestones
831
723 720 715655
510
480
682677
625
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
Ton
s of
SO
2 pe
r ye
ar fo
r 9
wes
tern
sta
tes
w/ Smelter Set-aside w/o Smelters
}GCVTCGoal
Air Pollution Prevention Strategies
GCVTC recommended...– Promotion of energy efficiency– 10% of region’s electricity from renewable sources by 2005 and
20% by 2015 Further analysis and plan development provided by the
WRAP’s “Air Pollution Prevention Forum” Highest-rated renewable energy policy options
– Renewable portfolio standard– Systems benefit charge– Green pricing– Tax incentives
Air Pollution Prevention
Highest-rated efficiency options– Rate payer-financed demand-side
management program– Tax incentives, efficiency
standards, rate reform, etc. Tribal-specific analyses and
recommendations also provided Forum analyzed economic impacts
of implementing the GCVTC goalsgiven best options identified above
Forum efforts contributed to the development of the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS)
Annual Levelized Production Costs
$17.4$16.4 $16.7
$0
$5
$10
$15
$20
BAU EE EE + 10/20B
illio
n 2
001$
Air Pollution Prevention
.
RPS recently considered RPS passed
.
Certificates-based Other
Renewable Portfolio Standards Green Pricing Programs
Conclusions
In a relatively short time, the WRAP has become an effective means of building consensus and practical solutions to western air quality issues
– Programs tailored to Western needs that make real environmental progress while balancing energy and economic considerations
State resources (staff time, etc.) are utilized more efficiently and conflicts are minimized through a collaborative, regional process
Prospective
Air quality issues other than regional haze are of interest– Suite of NOx impacts including nitrogen
deposition and rural ozone– Regional market-based approaches for GHGs
Air quality is a component of energy policy– Air pollution often tertiary with respect to other
natural resource, environmental and quality of life concerns
– Institutions for energy policy largely separate from those for air pollution control