Key Issues in the Design of NOx Emission Trading Programs to Reduce Ground-level Ozone

Key Issues in the Design of NOx Emission Trading Programs to Reduce Ground-level Ozone PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric ozone
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Evaluating Ozone Control Programs in the Eastern United States

Evaluating Ozone Control Programs in the Eastern United States PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428904522
Category : Air pollution control industry
Languages : en
Pages : 41

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Evaluating the Design of Emissions Trading Programs Using Air Quality Models

Evaluating the Design of Emissions Trading Programs Using Air Quality Models PDF Author: Tammy Marie Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
In order to meet the US EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards as set under the provisions of the Clean Air Act, states and regions throughout the United States are designing cap and trade programs aimed at reducing the emissions of the two dominant precursors for ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). While emission cap and trade programs are becoming more common, relatively few analyses have examined the air quality implications of moving emissions from one location to another (due to trading of emissions between facilities), from one sector to another (due to the use of technologies such as Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles - PHEVs), and changing the temporal distribution of emissions (through emissions trading among facilities with different temporal profiles). This thesis will examine, in detail, the air quality implications of two emission cap and trade programs. The first program is a NOx trading program that covers Electricity Generating Units (EGUs) in the Northeastern United States. Results show that refining the temporal limits on this cap and trade program, by charging facilities more to emit NOx on days when ozone is most likely to form, has the potential to significantly reduce NOx emissions and ozone concentrations. Additionally, this research also shows that, for this region, the spatial redistribution of NOx emissions due to trading leads to greater ozone reductions than similar amounts of NOx emission reductions applied evenly across all facilities. Analyses also indicate that displacing emissions from the on-road mobile sector (vehicles) to the EGU sector through the use of PHEVs decreases ozone in most areas, but some highly localized areas show increases in ozone concentration. The second trading program examined in this thesis is limited to Houston, Texas, where a VOC trading program is focused on a sub-set of four Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOCs), which have been identified as having substantial ozone formation potential. Work presented in this thesis examined whether this trading program, in its current form or in an expanded form, could lead to air pollution hot spots, due to spatial reallocation of emissions. Results show that the program as currently designed is unlikely to lead to ozone hot spots, so no further spatial limitations are required for this program. Expanding the trading to include Other VOCs, fugitive emissions and chlorine emissions, based on reactivity weighted trading, is also unlikely to lead to the formation of ozone hot spots, and could create more flexibility in a trading market that is currently not very active. Based on these air quality modeling results, policy suggestions are provided that may increase participation in the trading market. These case studies demonstrate that use of detailed air analyses can provide improved designs for increasingly popular emission cap and trade programs, with improved understanding of the impacts of modifying spatial and temporal distributions of emissions.

NOx Budget Trading Program

NOx Budget Trading Program PDF Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air and Radiation
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric ozone
Languages : en
Pages : 62

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Book Description
The NOx Budget Trading Program (NBP) is a market-based cap and trade program created to reduce the regional transport of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from power plants and other large combustion sources that contribute to ozone nonattainment in the eastern United States. NOx is a major precursor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a pervasive air pollution problem - also known as "smog" - in many areas in the East. The NBP was designed to reduce NOx emissions during the warm summer months, referred to as the ozone season, when ground-level ozone concentrations are highest. This report evaluates progress under the NBP in 2007 by examining emission reductions, reviewing compliance results and market activity, and comparing changes in emissions to changes in ozone concentrations.

Cost-Effective Control of Urban Smog

Cost-Effective Control of Urban Smog PDF Author: Richard Kosobud
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135990301
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
Containing rigorous hard evidence, this book is of immense practical use to postgraduates, researchers and business communities affected by or working in environmental regulation. The author, a leading name in the environmental economics community, examines the problem of urban smog in cityscapes and the difficulty of achieving cost-effective controls. Analyzing the key areas of urban smog, low-level ozone and volatile organic compound emissions and their impact on health and welfare of communities this text assesses and evaluates the performance of emissions trading systems and suggests alternative market designs for incentive control of pollution. Taking a well-reasoned approach to the contentious area of the use of market incentives to achieve environmental goals, it provides a study of the pioneering cap-and-trade market, particularly focusing on its poor performance in Chicago. A perfect supplementary text postgraduates and researchers, this is also an essential read for all those interested in environmental economics.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) why and how they are controlled

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) why and how they are controlled PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428902805
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 57

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Modeling and Analysis of Nox Emission Trading to Achieve Ozone Standards

Modeling and Analysis of Nox Emission Trading to Achieve Ozone Standards PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Emission trading programs are incentive-based policy instruments implemented to achieve environmental targets cost-effectively. In these programs, also known as transferable discharge permit (TDP), emission-reduction trading, and cap and trade programs, participants are required to meet established emission reductions goals through control measures or by acquiring TDPs from sources in the market that over-control. TDP programs encourage development and application of innovative control technologies and allow pollution sources more flexibility in complying with regulations. One potential drawback to a market-driven policy such as TDP is that the geographical distribution of emissions resulting from trades could locally degrade air quality if the market is not designed properly. Since such an outcome is generally undesirable, the ability for regulators to predict environmental impacts of trading prior to implementation is very important. The goal of this thesis is to present a general framework for using mathematical optimization to model and analyze different market design features for TDP programs including the potential use of trading restrictions to control the geographic distribution of permits. This framework will provide regulators with a way to identify effective market designs and implement more robust and reliable TDP programs. An important component of this framework is the use of Modeling to Generate Alternatives (MGA) to identify the range of trading outcomes that may occur in response to a TDP program. A case study using this framework was conducted for NOx emission trading in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. The study analyzed alternative trading outcomes generated using MGA, investigated limitations on source size and type in the trading program, and tested the use of zoning restrictions as a way to control the geographical distribution of permits. Trading outcomes were evaluated with respect to cost, air quality, robustness, and reliability. Resul.

Factors Affecting the Relative Success of EPA's NOx CAP-and-Trade Program

Factors Affecting the Relative Success of EPA's NOx CAP-and-Trade Program PDF Author: Congressional budget office (u s congress) washington dc
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 43

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Book Description
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule that requires 22 eastern states and the District of Columbia to reduce their emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), the principal component of smog. The aim of that rule--sometimes referred to as the Ozone Transport Rule-is to help areas meet the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone in a cost-effective way. Wind patterns frequently carry ozone and its precursor chemicals (including NOx) long distances, a process called ozone transport. Thus, reductions in NOx emissions throughout the multistate region could help reduce ozone concentrations in many counties and metropolitan areas that violate the standard. EPA estimates that the proposed Ozone Transport Rule will cost sources of NOx emissions approximately $1.8 billion a year. The electric power industry is expected to bear 75 percent of that cost and other stationary sources the remaining 25 percent. The estimated cost to the electric power industry assumes that the required cuts in NOx emissions are made through a regionwide program in which states distribute emission allowances to sources Of NOx emissions, and those sources can buy, sell, or trade the allowances among themselves. The total number of allowances is subject to a limit, or cap. States decide whether to participate in the program and also select the NOx sources they want to include in it.

Factors Affecting the Relative Success of EPA's NOx Cap-and-trade Program

Factors Affecting the Relative Success of EPA's NOx Cap-and-trade Program PDF Author: Terry Dinan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Air quality management
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule that requires 22 eastern states and the District of Columbia to reduce their emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), the principal component of smog. The aim of that rule--sometimes referred to as the Ozone Transport Rule-is to help areas meet the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone in a cost-effective way. Wind patterns frequently carry ozone and its precursor chemicals (including NOx) long distances, a process called ozone transport. Thus, reductions in NOx emissions throughout the multistate region could help reduce ozone concentrations in many counties and metropolitan areas that violate the standard. EPA estimates that the proposed Ozone Transport Rule will cost sources of NOx emissions approximately $1.8 billion a year. The electric power industry is expected to bear 75 percent of that cost and other stationary sources the remaining 25 percent. The estimated cost to the electric power industry assumes that the required cuts in NOx emissions are made through a regionwide program in which states distribute emission allowances to sources Of NOx emissions, and those sources can buy, sell, or trade the allowances among themselves. The total number of allowances is subject to a limit, or cap. States decide whether to participate in the program and also select the NOx sources they want to include in it.

Potential Gains from Using Emissions Trading to Manage Emissions of NOx and Other Ozone Precursors

Potential Gains from Using Emissions Trading to Manage Emissions of NOx and Other Ozone Precursors PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 6

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Book Description
Environment Canada commissioned a study to assess the feasibility of using emission trading to meet the ground-level ozone objectives, with particular focus on potential applicability to nitrogen oxide sources located in southern Ontario, which experiences the most frequent and severe exceedences of Canada's one hour ozone objective of 82 parts per billion. The emission trading plan integrated trading into the basic regulatory scheme from the start, avoiding problems that have plagued prior emissions trading programs. The plan would cover all large, stationary sources of nitrogen oxides in the area. Cost savings and environmental effects of the proposed plan to allow nitrogen oxide trading among Ontario Hydro's power plants are discussed and the results of the Environment Canada feasibility study are presented.