Minnesota and coal

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Introduction

Minnesota had 46 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 5,676 MW of capacity, representing 43.8% of the state's total electric generating capacity; Minnesota ranks 22nd out of the 50 states in terms of coal-fired electric generating capacity.[1] In 2006, Minnesota's coal-fired power plants produced 34.9 million tons of CO2, more than 80,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 76,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; coal-fired power plants were responsible for 34.1% of the state's total CO2 emissions.[2] In 2005, Minnesota emitted 19.9 tons of CO2 per person, roughly equal to the U.S. average.[3]

There was no coal mining in Minnesota in 2006.[4]

Citizen activism

History

There is no history of coal mining in Minnesota, as the state has little or no coal reserves.[5][6] The coal power industry is fairly strong in the state, however: a large proportion of the state's power plants are coal-fired, and coal giant Xcel Energy is headquartered in Minneapolis. However, in the mid-1990's, Minnesota state regulators began to demonstrate stronger opposition to the construction of new coal-fired power plants, based to a large extent on concerns about global warming.

The battle over the future of coal in Minnesota in 2009 was focused on the Big Stone II proposed coal plant in South Dakota, several miles from the Minnesota border; that project, which was canceled in late 2009, would have depended on the construction of transmission lines through Minnesota.[7]

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency finds mercury increase in fish from state lakes

In February 2009, the MPCA released a study showing that methylmercury levels in large Minnesota fish including northern pike and walleye had increased unexpectedly. Mercury levels had declined by 37 percent between 1982 and the mid-1990s, but have since increased by 15 percent. The analysis, which was based on tissue samples from fish collected from over 800 state lakes, concerns scientists because the mercury is toxic to humans and wildlife. The agency said that a local source of mercury is not likely to be responsible. Instead, mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants outside the state and factors related to global climate change are probably to blame.[8]

Legislative issues

In 2007 Minnesota announced that it would add a "carbon fee" to electricity imports from North Dakota (similar to a tax or tariff) of between $4 to $32 per ton of carbon dioxide emitted by the state's coal-fired power plants, to begin in 2012. In early January 2010 North Dakota announced it was in the process of taking legal action against Minnesota, arguing that the law would unfairly tax electricity imports from North Dakota's coal-fired power plants. .[9]

Proposed coal plants

Active

Cancelled

  • Rosemount Project, Rosemount, MN
  • Big Stone II, Milbank, SD (several miles from MN border, and depends on regulatory approval for construction of transmission lines through MN)

Coal lobbying groups

Coal power companies

Existing coal plants

Minnesota had 46 coal-fired generating units at 21 locations in 2005, with 5,676 MW of capacity - representing 43.8% of the state's total electric generating capacity.[10][11] Click on the locations shown on the map for plant details: <googlemap version="0.9" lat="46.5" lon="-93" type="map" zoom="6"> 45.029414, -92.778776, Allen S. King Generating Plant Click here for more information. 47.764314, -96.633266, American Crystal Crookston Power Plant Click here for more information. 47.927194, -97.006306, American Crystal East Grand Forks Power Plant Click here for more information. 46.901389, -96.76022, American Crystal Moorhead Power Plant Click here for more information. 44.186724, -93.993437, Archer Daniels Midland Mankato Power Plant Click here for more information. 44.818722, -93.239389, Black Dog Generating Station Click here for more information. 47.261963, -93.651372, Boswell Energy Center Click here for more information. 47.429675, -92.934521, Hibbing Power Plant Click here for more information. 44.93614, -93.103751, High Bridge Generating Plant Click here for more information. 46.287444, -96.033306, Hoot Lake Plant Click here for more information. 43.702214, -92.962463, Northeast Power Station Click here for more information. 45.025917, -93.2765, Riverside Generating Plant (Minnesota) Click here for more information. 45.6192, -94.2012, Sartell Cogeneration Plant Click here for more information. 45.381209, -93.896634, Sherburne County Plant Click here for more information. 47.285417, -91.263694, Silver Bay Power Plant Click here for more information. 44.028465, -92.460272, Silver Lake Plant Click here for more information. 44.7972, -95.1717, Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Power Plant Click here for more information. 47.531102, -92.161289, Syl Laskin Energy Center Click here for more information. 47.5314, -90.9111, Taconite Harbor Energy Center Click here for more information. 47.52103, -92.54146, Virginia Power Plant Click here for more information. 45.121766, -95.054316, Willmar Power Plant Click here for more information. </googlemap>

Here is a list of coal power plants in Minnesota with capacity over 400 MW:[12][13][14]

Plant Name County Owner Year(s) Built Capacity 2007 CO2 Emissions 2006 SO2 Emissions SO2/MW Rank
Sherburne County Sherburne Xcel Energy 1976, 1977, 1987 2129 MW 17,900,000 tons 24,742 tons 212
Clay Boswell Itasca ALLETE 1958, 1960, 1973, 1980 1073 MW 7,150,000 tons 20,407 tons 165
Allen S. King Washington Xcel Energy 1958 598 MW 3,402,000 tons 26,181 tons N/A
Riverside Hennepin Xcel Energy 1964, 1987 404 MW 2,738,000 tons 8,538 tons N/A

These 4 plants represent 74.1% of Minnesota's coal energy generating capacity, 30.5% of the state's total CO2 emissions, and 51.0% of its total SO2 emissions.[15]

Scrubbers

As of 2009, the following Minnesota generating units did not have sulfur scrubbers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:

  • Black Dog Units 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Boswell Energy Center Units 1, 2, 3
  • High Bridge Units 3, 4, 5, 6
  • Hoot Lake Units 2, 3
  • Laskin Energy Center Units 1, 2
  • Minnesota Valley Unit 4
  • Northeast Station NEPP
  • Northshore Mining Silver Bay Power, PB1 and PB2
  • Riverside Units 6, 7, 8
  • Silver Lake Unit 4


Major coal mines

There are no major coal mines in Minnesota.[16]

Citizen groups

Resources

References

  1. ↑ Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration, accessed April 2008.
  2. ↑ Estimated Emissions for U.S. Electric Power Industry by State, 1990-2006, Energy Information Administration, 2007.
  3. ↑ Minnesota Energy Consumption Information, eRedux website, accessed June 2008.
  4. ↑ Coal Production and Number of Mines by State and Mine Type, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.
  5. ↑ State Coal Profiles, Energy Information Administration, 1994.
  6. ↑ Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2006, Energy Information Administration, 2007.
  7. ↑ The End of Coal?, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, May 19, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sees rise in mercury levels in northern pike, walleye from state lakes," Pioneer Press, February 18, 2009.
  9. ↑ "First Carbon Tariff Will Tax CO2 at the Border," Susan Kraemer, Scientific America, January 1, 2010.
  10. ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
  11. ↑ Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EIA
  13. ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
  14. ↑ Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named eRedux
  16. ↑ Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.

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External links

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