Air Quality and Some Innovative Ways to Improve It. James W. Yarbrough U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Dallas, Texas

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1 Air Quality and Some Innovative Ways to Improve It James W. Yarbrough U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Dallas, Texas

2 Take-home message EPA is serious about using innovative measures to improve air quality. Energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy conservation provide major opportunities to reduce air pollution emissions from power plants and motor vehicles.

Energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy conservation

3 Classification of 8-hour Nonattainment Ozone Areas CATEGORY/CLASSIFICATION Severe 17 Los Angeles Serious - Riverside Co (Coachella Valley), San Joaquin, Sacramento, CA Moderate Moderate EAC Greensboro, NC Marginal Subpart 1 (Basic) Subpart 1 EAC (Basic)

Riverside Co (Coachella Valley), San Joaquin, Sacramento, CA

4 Dallas-Ft Worth Nonattainment Area 8-Hour Ozone 2004 Destinations Denton Collin Rockwall Parker Tarrant Dallas Kaufman 8-Hr NA Area Johnson Ellis

6 125 (1-hour standard) (1 (1-hour standard)

7 Texas 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas 19% Non-Road 8% Point Dallas 22% Area On-Road 51% Houston 27% Non-Road 26% Point Based on 2002 NOx & VOC emissions data 27% On-Road 20% Area

8 Where do we go from here? Current and Future Strategies to achieve Cleaner Air

9 What needs to be done in the future? For the general public Lifestyle Changes For the private sector Clean air is everyone s business. For industry Explore and implement innovations/new technologies For local government Growing Green

10 You miss 100% of all the shots you never take. - Wayne Gretsky

11 Guidance on SIP Credit for Emissions Reductions From Electric-Sector Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Measures 4 Step Process Estimate energy savings of EE/RE measures Convert energy savings into emission reductions Determine emission reductions in the nonattainment area Provide mechanism to evaluate effectiveness

of EE/RE measures Convert energy savings into emission reductions Determine

12 Special Challenges/Critical Issues Difficult to determine where emission reductions occur Need methodology to estimate where the energy is displaced (e.g., Texas A&M emissions reduction calculator) Use methodology to estimate emission reductions and impact on NA area Cap and Trade Programs may limit SIP credit Surplus requirement means cannot give separate credit if use EE/RE measure to stay under cap Credit OK if State retires allowances Clean air interstate rule -- a nationwide cap and trade program

13 EE/RE Examples The guidance is not a cookbook No single way to credit EE/RE Circumstances will differ from area to area Montgomery County, Maryland SIP (wind power purchase) and DFW SIP have requested EE credits

from area to area Montgomery County, Maryland SIP

14 Why are we emphasizing innovative measures for air emissions reductions? Reductions in air pollution are more expensive and difficult to come by now than 30 years ago The role of voluntary actions and co-benefits of other strategies is growing, particularly with actions by States and Locals (e.g., Texas Senate Bill 5, requirements for Renewable Portfolio Standards)

ago The role of voluntary actions and co-benefits of other strategies is growing,

15 Some EPA-R6 Activities Linking Energy Efficiency-Air Quality Dallas energy efficiency Fuel cell SEPs Clean-vehicle loaner Energy Star benchmarking SB 5 workshops on air qualityenergy efficiency Frisco green building video Outreach to industry, governments, public MOU with DOE-NREL DOE-EPA pilot projects on ee/re to improve air quality EPA, TCEQ guidance on obtaining SIP credits for ee/re National Air Innovations Conference, Center of Excellence for Air Innovations/Futures

industry, governments, public MOU with DOE-NREL DOE-EPA pilot projects on ee/re to improve air quality EPA, TCEQ

16 Examples of efforts with air pollution mitigation benefits Energy efficiency retrofit measures (e.g., LED retrofits in traffic signals, HVAC improvements, reflective roofs, optimizing water pumping) New renewable energy projects (e.g., wind, solar, fuel cells) Green building programs Land use plans (smart growth, urban heat island mitigation) Pay-as-you-drive auto insurance Alternative fuels in municipal vehicles

17 Green building programs E.g., Frisco residential green building program reduces about 6 tons/year of Nox per 1,000 new homes built. Action: Publicize programs and efficiencies

18 Green power purchases West Texas wind power can supplant fossil fuelfired grid power Texas A&M has developed an energy assessment calculator Action: publicize in targeted polluted cities

19 Clean diesel engines With 2007 model year, diesel emission standards tighten. Fleet will take many years to turn over. Action: help sponsor purchase of clean diesel engines and finance old engine scrappage (contract underway for U.S.-Mexico border fleets)

Action: help sponsor purchase of clean diesel engines and

20 Truck stop electrification Providing electrical hook-ups for truckers enables them to turn off their trucks at night, rather than idle Action: Support such hook-ups in targeted, polluted cities

their trucks at night, rather than idle Action:

21 The Adopt-A-School Bus Program puts clean fuel buses into the hands of school districts. From Idea to Reality. Little Rock DALLAS HOUSTON Austin San Antonio Public/Private Partnership Air Quality Children s Health Grew to a national program

22 Hydrogen fuel cells Action: Contract to identify best applications for fuel cells to reduce pollution; sponsor Supplementary Environmental Projects (SEPs), such as at Moody Gardens Examples: refueling stations, gas compressor stations in Houston area; small fuel cells in consumer

23 Geothermal cooling/heating Up to 50% reduction in electricity bills from HVAC Means less demand for grid power and less air pollution emissions from power plants Action: publicize advantages to potential users, seed money to ISDs

24 Gas can/lawn mower trade-ins Green gas cans capture VOC emissions EPA estimates a tradein of 600 typical cans can reduce VOC emissions by 2 tons/year in DFW Action: sponsor tradein programs

25 Urban runoff-heat island mitigation Urban runoff is one of the largest water problems Urban heat island effects increase air pollution potential Action: help sponsor forum to explore actions with targeted cities

26 Ports- Airports Action: Identify ee-re solutions that can reduce air emissions here

27 Resources to Leverage Supplementary Environmental Project (SEP) funds from violators Internal discretionary funds EPA grants funds to States, Locals, Tribes Periodic special EPA, DOE innovations/energy efficiency-renewable energy grants funds External partners and matching funds

28 Summary Ozone air quality continues to be a major air pollution concern Significant reductions of Nox and VOC emissions can occur with energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy conservation measures EPA has adopted SIP guidance allowing credits for these measures Funding is possible for meritorious projects

Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in State Air Quality Planning

Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in State Air Quality Planning Art Diem Office of Air and Radiation Office of Atmospheric Programs State & Local Branch Emissions Reduction & Energy