Environmental Matters
NRG is subject to a wide range of environmental regulations in the development, ownership, construction and operation of projects in the United States and Australia. These laws and regulations generally require that governmental permits and approvals be obtained before construction and during operation of power plants. Environmental regulations have become increasingly stringent and NRG expects this trend to continue. The electric generation industry is likely to face new requirements to address various emissions, including greenhouse gases, as well as combustion byproducts, water discharge and use, and threatened and endangered species. In general, future laws and regulations are expected to require the addition of emissions controls or other environmental controls or to impose certain restrictions on the operations of the Company's facilities, which could have a material effect on the Company's operations.
The EPA released CSAPR on July 7, 2011, which was scheduled to replace CAIR on January 1, 2012. On August 21, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an opinion vacating CSAPR and keeping CAIR in place until the EPA can replace it. The EPA petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of this decision, which petition was granted. The Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case on December 10, 2013. The Court of Appeals decision was beneficial to the Company as it eliminated an SO2 allowance reduction which was to have occurred before the MATS compliance date. While NRG is unable to predict the final outcome of the ongoing litigation, the Company's investment in pollution controls and cleaner technologies coupled with planned strategic plant retirements leaves the fleet well positioned for compliance.
Under CSAPR, use of discounted Acid Rain SO2 and CAIR NOx allowances would have been discontinued and replaced with completely distinct allowance programs. Acid Rain allowances would still be required on a 1:1 basis under the Acid Rain Program. Consequently, in the third quarter 2011, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $160 million on the Company's Acid Rain Program SO2 emission allowances, which were recorded as an intangible asset on the Company's balance sheet. The impairment charge reflects the write-off of the value of emission allowances in excess of those required for compliance with the Acid Rain Program.
In January 2014, EPA re-proposed the NSPS for CO2 emissions from new fossil-fuel-fired electric generating units that had been previously proposed in April 2012. The re-proposed standards are 1,000 pounds of CO2 per MWh for large gas units and 1,100 pounds of CO2 per MWh for coal units and small gas units. Proposed standards are in effect until a final rule is published or another rule is re-proposed. In 2014, EPA intends to propose another rule that would require states to develop CO2 standards that would apply to existing fossil-fueled generating facilities.
Environmental Capital Expenditures
Based on current (and in some cases proposed) rules, technology and preliminary plans based on some proposed rules, NRG estimates that environmental capital expenditures from 2014 through 2018 required to comply with environmental laws will be approximately $332 million, which includes $120 million for GenOn. These costs are primarily associated with (i) controls to satisfy MATS and the recent NSR settlement at Big Cajun II; (ii) controls to satisfy MATS at W.A. Parish, Limestone and Conemaugh; and (iii) NOx controls for Sayreville and Gilbert. NRG continues to explore cost-effective compliance alternatives to further reduce costs.
NRG's contracts with its rural electric cooperative customers in the South Central region allow for recovery of a portion of the region's environmental capital costs incurred as the result of complying with any change in environmental law. Cost recoveries begin once the environmental equipment becomes operational and include a return on capital. The actual recoveries will depend, among other things, on the timing of the completion of the capital projects and the remaining duration of the contracts.
East Region
The EPA and various states are investigating compliance of electric generating facilities with the pre-construction permitting requirements of the CAA known as “new source review,” or NSR. In January 2009, GenOn received an NOV from the EPA alleging that past work at Keystone, Portland and Shawville generating facilities violated regulations regarding NSR. In June 2011, GenOn received an NOV from the EPA alleging that past work at Avon Lake and Niles generating stations violated NSR. In December 2007, the NJDEP filed suit alleging that NSR violations occurred at the Portland generating station, which suit was resolved pursuant to a July 2013 Consent Decree. The Shawville and Portland generating units that are the subject of the NOVs are scheduled for retirement soon. The Niles coal generating unit, also subject to the NOV, was retired in 2012. Additionally, in April 2013, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued four NOVs alleging that past work at oil-fired combustion turbines at the Torrington Terminal, Franklin, Branford and Middletown violated regulations regarding NSR.
In 2008, the PADEP issued an NOV related to the inactive Monarch mine where low-volume wastewater from the Cheswick Generating Station and ash leachate was historically disposed. Resolution of the NOV could result in operational requirements such as pumping a minimum volume of water from the mine and a penalty of approximately $200,000.
In January 2006, NRG's Indian River Operations, Inc. was notified that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to Burton Island Old Ash Landfill, a historic captive landfill located at the Indian River facility. On October 1, 2007, NRG signed an agreement with DNREC to investigate the site through the Voluntary Clean-up Program. On February 4, 2008, DNREC issued findings that no further action is required in relation to surface water and that a previously planned shoreline stabilization project would satisfactorily address shoreline erosion. The landfill itself required a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study to determine the type and scope of any additional required work. The DNREC approved the Feasibility Study in December 2012. In January 2013, DNREC proposed a remediation plan based on the Feasibility Study. The remediation plan was approved in October 2013. The cost of completing the work required by the approved remediation plan is consistent with amounts previously budgeted. On May 29, 2008, DNREC requested that NRG's Indian River Operations, Inc. participate in the development and performance of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment at the Burton Island Old Ash Landfill. NRG is currently working with DNREC and other trustees to close out the assessment process.
The MDE sued GenOn for alleged violations of water pollution laws at three fly ash disposal sites in Maryland: Faulkner (2008/2011), Brandywine (2010) and Westland (2012). On April 30, 2013, the court approved the consent decree resolving these issues. GenOn has discontinued use of the Faulkner disposal site and opened a new, state of the art carbon burnout facility at its Morgantown plant that allows greater beneficial reuse (as a cement substitute).
In addition, the MDE has announced that it intends to promulgate more stringent regulations regarding NOx emissions, which could negatively affect certain of the Company's coal facilities located in Maryland.
In 2013, each of the RGGI member states finalized a rule that collectively reduced the CO2 emissions cap from 165 million tons to 91 million tons in 2014 with a 2.5% reduction each year from 2015 to 2020. The Company expects earnings at its plants in Massachusetts, New York, and particularly those in Maryland, to be negatively affected. The extent to which the Company would be negatively affected depends on the price of the CO2 emissions allowances, which in turn will be significantly influenced by future natural gas prices, power prices, generation resource mix, dispatch order, and any nuclear plant retirements.
For further discussion of these matters, refer to Note 22, Commitments and Contingencies.
South Central Region
In 2009, the U.S. DOJ, on behalf of the EPA, and later the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality on behalf of the state of Louisiana, sued LaGen in federal district court in the Middle District of Louisiana alleging violations of the CAA at the Big Cajun II power plant. On March 6, 2013, the court entered a Consent Decree resolving the matter. In addition to a fine of $3.5 million and mitigation projects totaling $10.5 million the Consent Decree includes: (i) annual emission caps for NOx and SO2; (ii) installation of selective non-catalytic reduction on Units 1, 2 and 3 by May 1, 2014; (iii) installation of dry sorbent injection on Unit 1 by April 15, 2015 followed by a further reduction in SO2 in March 2025; (iv) conversion of Unit 2 to natural gas; and (v) surrender of any excess allowances associated with the NRG owned portion of the plant. For further discussion of this matter, refer to Note 22, Commitments and Contingencies.
