2015 Environmental Report

Transcription

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Environmental Sustainability Report
Five Points, a retail and entertainment district near the University of
South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., is one of many vibrant communities
where SCE&G provides customers with electricity and gas.
A Message to Our Friends and
Community Members
As an energy company, we are focused on building, operating
and maintaining the electric and natural gas infrastructure
needed to provide our customers with safe, reliable service.
I believe we do a tremendous job at that. But what really
distinguishes us as a leader in the energy industry is our people,
and their commitment to doing what’s right.
We are committed to demonstrating environmental stewardship, and ensuring that
natural resources are preserved for future generations.
We are committed to supporting the communities we serve through philanthropy
and volunteerism.
We are committed to complying with the many local, state and federal regulations
that pertain to our business.
And we are committed to communicating in an open, transparent manner, to ensure
our customers and other stakeholders understand what we’re doing, how we’re doing it,
and why.
I am pleased, then, to share the following report with you, which we hope will provide
more insight into our company’s unrelenting commitment to building a clean, safe and
reliable energy future for the customers we serve.
Thank you,
Kevin Marsh
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
SCANA Corporation
If severe weather strikes, SCE&G crews are ready to respond,
serving customers by safely and quickly restoring power.
Contents
Letter from the Chairman/CEO
1
Company Profile
3
Balanced Energy Solutions
Nuclear 4
Fossil Fuels
4
Nuclear Offers Energy Diversity, Reliability 6-7
Environmental Footprint Air
Greenhouse Gases
Air Emission Challenges
Life After Coal: Urquhart Station
Water
Recycling
Nuclear Safety
U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory
Clean Power Plan 8
8
10-11
12-13
14
14-15
16
16
17
Conserving Resources for the Future
Solar Energy
Customer-Scale Solar
Community Solar
Utility Solar
SCE&G Energy Innovation Center
Home Energy Check-ups
Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program
Small Business Energy Solutions Program
SCE&G Unveils First Utility-Scale Solar Facility
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
20-21
Commitment to Our Community
UNC Jaycee Burn Center South Carolina Aquarium
Camp Leopold
Riverbanks Zoo One80 Place
Sustaining Our Seniors of S.C. USS Yorktown Foundation
SCE&G Responds to 1,000-Year Flood
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22
23
23
24
25
25
26-27
SCANA Environmental Policy
SCANA employees had the top fundraising team for the American Heart Association’s 2015 Midlands
Heart Walk.
Each year, the company gives away tree seedlings as part of its Lake Murray Shoreline Habitat
Enhancement Project.
2015 | SCANA
28Environmental Sustainability Report | 2
While fostering economic activity near its Cayce, S.C. headquarters,
SCANA has helped to preserve the rich Native American,
Colonial and Confederate histories of the area.
Company Profile
Headquartered in Cayce, S.C., SCANA is an energy-based holding company principally engaged in electric
and natural gas utility operations and other energy-related businesses. The company serves approximately
698,000 electric customers in South Carolina and more than 1.3 million natural gas customers in South
Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
SCANA’s primary subsidiaries include:
South Carolina Electric & Gas
PSNC Energy
SCANA Energy
SCE&G is a regulated public
utility engaged in the generation,
transmission, distribution and sale of
electricity to approximately 698,000
customers in 24 counties in the central,
southern and south-western portions
of South Carolina. The company
also provides natural gas service to
approximately 347,000 customers in
35 counties in the state.
Headquartered in Gastonia, N.C.,
PSNC Energy is a regulated public
utility engaged primarily in purchasing,
transporting, distributing and selling
natural gas to approximately 534,000
residential, commercial and industrial
customers in a service area covering
12,000 square miles in the north
central, Piedmont and western
regions of North Carolina.
As a leading certified natural gas
marketer in Georgia since 1998,
SCANA Energy serves approximately
450,000 residential, commercial and
industrial customers statewide.
SCANA Energy remains the second
largest natural gas marketer in Georgia.
2015 | SCANA Environmental Sustainability Report | 3
Balanced Energy Solutions
Key Highlights
• Nuclear facilities in construction will reduce SCE&G’s greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions.
• Moving rapidly to drop emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
and other pollutants
SCE&G and its partner place the 2.4-million pound CA01 module that will house a number of major components
in the first of two new nuclear units at V.C. Summer Station. The module is a multi-compartment steel structure
within the Unit 2 containment vessel.
SCE&G’s energy portfolio includes a diverse mix of electricity generation. This strategy
relies upon increasing amounts of non-GHG emitting nuclear and renewable electric
generation, as well as existing fossil-fuel fired plants with proven emissions controls.
SCE&G, PSNC Energy and SCANA Energy also provide clean, efficient natural gas to
consumers throughout South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
Nuclear
Fossil Fuels
Nuclear power is important to fulfill South Carolina’s
growing energy needs.
In 2012, SCE&G began to retire six coal-fired generating
units at three locations. These units represent
approximately 730 megawatts of coal-fired generation
that will be retired or converted to clean-burning natural
gas. In late 2012, Unit 3 at the Urquhart Plant near North
Augusta discontinued burning coal and instead now burns
natural gas. In 2012 and 2013, three coal units at Canadys
Station near Walterboro were permanently closed. The two
units, located at the McMeekin Plant in Irmo, will convert
from coal to natural gas in April 2016. Two of SCE&G’s
remaining coal plants, Cope & Williams Stations, year after
year, are ranked in the 20 most efficient coal plants in the
United States.
More than half of the electricity currently produced in
South Carolina comes from nuclear power, and SCE&G’s
V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Unit 1 near Jenkinsville, South
Carolina, has been providing power safely and reliably for
three decades.
In order to meet the future energy needs of our customers
in South Carolina, SCE&G, in partnership with Santee
Cooper, is building two new units at V.C. Summer
Nuclear Station. When Units 2 and 3 are completed and
online, SCE&G will have lowered carbon emissions to
approximately 46 percent of its 2005 levels and is expected
to produce approximately 60 percent of its system
electricity from sources without GHG emissions. This
energy will be critical for serving the needs of customers
and the economic development of the state.
Nuclear power is the best option available today to
provide reliable, large-scale electricity production
without emitting greenhouse gases.
With the planned retirement of these coal units and the
addition of its two new nuclear units, SCE&G anticipates
that the available electric generation will be a balanced
mix of nuclear, coal and gas. These changes will help the
company meet the increasingly stringent environmental
regulations facing the industry and should position
SCE&G to be a leader in non-emitting generation.
2021 Projected Generation Mix
2015 Generation Mix
3.6%
24%
Non-emitting
1.6
%
3% 2%
60%
Non-emitting
2%
19.9%
34.1
%
55%
40.8%
18%
20%
Note: The “Generation Mix” charts (above) show the relative amounts of electricity generated at SCE&G by each fuel source. The 2015 chart shows the amounts
actually generated in that year. The 2021 chart shows the predicted use of fuels to generate electricity. For example, coal plants generated 40.8% of SCE&G’s
2015 electricity, but are expected to produce only 20% of 2021’s generation.
NUCLEAR
HYDRO
BIOMASS
NATURAL GAS
COAL
SOLAR
ALT. SOURCES
2021 Capacity Mix
12%
29%
26%
3%
30%
Note: The “Capacity Mix” chart (right) shows the capability of SCE&G’s generation sources, and the diversity of fuels available in the future.
“Alternate Sources” refers to the sum of solar and biomass capacity.
Nuclear Offers
Energy Diversity, Reliability
V.C. Summer Station Unit 1 has been providing safe
and reliable nuclear power to customers since 1984.
Construction of Units 2 and 3 at V.C. Summer Nuclear
Station in Fairfield County, S.C., continues at a steady pace.
The guaranteed substantial completion dates of the new
units are August 2019 and August 2020 to serve customers
alongside already operational V.C. Summer Unit 1. Together,
the nuclear units will provide a clean, safe and reliable
source of power to serve South Carolina’s growing energy
needs for decades to come.
When the new units are complete, SCE&G’s generation mix
will be about 30 percent nuclear, 30 percent natural gas,
and 30 percent scrubbed coal, with the balance in hydro,
solar and biomass. Approximately 60 percent of SCE&G’s
generation will be non-emitting.
Steve Byrne, president of generation and transmission and
chief operating officer for SCE&G, recently talked with the
Nuclear Energy Institute about the importance of nuclear
energy for energy diversity. Below is an excerpt from that
Q&A session, and the full article is available at this link:
http://ow.ly/Y7LcR
Q: How does SCANA define energy diversity?
Byrne: We define energy diversity as having a diverse set
of energy options and the fuel sources to go with it. For
us, energy diversity is fuel diversity because, in the final
analysis, we are making electricity for our customers.
Now, when you are operating at peak demand—when
it’s really cold in the wintertime and really hot in the
summertime—chances are you’re going to be running
all of your available resources, but when you’re off-peak,
you really have options as to what to run. So you dispatch
those, based either on economic or environmental
considerations. More and more, the economic dispatch
is becoming the environmental resource. So what we
want to do is swap to the fuel source that is favorable
economically and environmentally.
We certainly see nuclear as an environmentally friendly
option. We like the clean power aspect of nuclear. We also
like the baseload aspect of nuclear.
When you build a fleet, you want to see a variety of
different types of generators. Some generators are good
for baseload power; certainly, nuclear does that. There are
other generators that provide intermediate power and
others that provide peaking power. The peaking power
plants you would not run until it is really hot or really cold.
The peaking plants just shave those peaks. They are less
efficient—either oil or natural gas generators.
Natural gas can act in any capacity. The combined cycle
natural gas units can run in a baseload capacity. Whether
it makes sense to run a natural gas unit as baseload really
depends on the cost of gas. Coal and nuclear plants
generally will be baseload.
Renewable energy is self-dispatching—when the wind
blows or the sun shines, those generators make electricity.
The challenge for us, and the challenge for most utilities,
is how to compensate for the self-dispatching nature of
renewables. In our case, we have hydro capabilities and a
pumped storage facility, so we will pump up a lake to store
energy when renewables are plentiful.
To see construction progress in action,
view SCE&G’s latest nuclear construction updates
at YouTube.com/scegnews.
Q: Does SCANA consider energy diversity an actual
value to be pursued or a more abstract principle to be
considered after other factors are weighed?
Byrne: We absolutely consider fuel diversity to be real. That
is one of the reasons we’re building out our nuclear assets
at V.C. Summer. Those new AP1000 reactors will be able
to follow load better than the existing nuclear fleet. Once
we’ve built out those facilities, our mix of fuel sources will be
about 30 percent coal, 30 percent natural gas and 30 percent
nuclear. The remainder is going to be hydro and renewables.
The first of two steam generators for unit 2 arrived at SCE&G’s V.C. Summer AP1000
construction site Jan.4, 2015. The component was sent from the Port of Charleston by rail
on the specially designed Schnabel car. The steam generator weighs 1,373,480 pounds, is
20 feet in diameter, and almost 82 feet long.
Environmental Footprint
Key Highlights
Since 2005:
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions down 30 percent
• Reduced system-wide total NOx emissions by 78 percent
•SO2 emissions down by 95 percent
Wateree Station, which uses scrubbers to reduce SO2 emissions, is one of the three coal-fired units
owned by SCE&G. All of SCE&G’s fossil and hydroelectric generating plants are ISO 14001 Environmental
Management System registered.
SCANA is sensitive to the impact of its operations to the air, water and land.
Air
SCE&G’s investment in clean air technologies has been
a high priority. Since 1994, SCE&G has spent more than
$1.1 billion in system and equipment additions to reduce
emissions at its coal-fired plants, including $970 million
in systems to reduce air emissions.
Nitrogen Oxides
To reduce NOx emissions, SCE&G has equipped all of its
natural gas plants with low-NOx burners and installed
state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
equipment at its three largest coal plants — Wateree
Station in Eastover, S.C.; Williams Station in Charleston, S.C.;
and Cope Station near Orangeburg, S.C.
Through these investments, SCE&G has reduced NOx
emissions by about 78 percent across our system since
2005. Once the new nuclear units come online, SCE&G’s
total nitrogen oxide emissions are expected to have
decreased by more than 88 percent from 2005 levels.
Sulfur Dioxide
SCE&G has installed scrubbers to reduce SO2 emissions
produced during the coal combustion process at Cope,
Wateree and Williams Stations. The company is scheduled
to fuel McMeekin Station with natural gas beginning in
2016, which will further reduce SO2 emissions.
Through these efforts, and the construction of two new
nuclear units, SCE&G expects to reduce SO2 emissions
by about 98 percent from 2005 levels.
Greenhouse Gases
Reducing the nation’s carbon footprint is an increasing
priority of the environmental regulatory policies in the
United States. With the addition of two new nuclear
units, SCE&G is on track to lower carbon emissions
by approximately 56 percent from 2005 levels. New
nuclear power is expected to enable SCE&G to produce
approximately 60 percent of its electricity from non-GHG
emitting sources.
NOx Emissions
SO2 Emissions
CO2 Emissions
2021 2.3
5.1
2015
2014 16.8
2021 631
2015 1136
2014 1230
2013 1135
2012 1222
2005 1447
Measured in lbs/MWh
2021 8.5
2015 13.5
2014 14.6
2013 13.2
2012 15.6
2013 19.3
CO2 Intensity
Measured in millions of tons
2005 19.2
2012 27.9
2005 108.1
Measured in thousands of tons
2021 3.2
2015 5.8
2014 7.6
2013 7.0
2012 9.2
2005 26.9
Projected
Air Emission Challenges
On July 6, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) issued the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur
dioxide (SO2) from power plants in the eastern half of the
United States. CSAPR requires a total of 28 states to reduce
annual SO2 emissions, annual NOx emissions and/or ozone
season NOx emissions to assist in attaining the 1997 ozone
and fine particle National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS). The rule establishes an emissions cap for SO2
and NOx for each utility within the 28 states.
It is expected that coal-fired generators will need to
have a combination of flue gas desulfurization, selective
catalytic reduction and fabric filters in order to comply
with the standards.
SCE&G generation is in compliance with the allowances
set by CSAPR. Air quality control installations that SCE&G
has already completed have positioned the company to
comply with the rule.
The first of these rules amends the new source
performance standards (“NSPS”) for EGUs and will
establish the first NSPS for GHG emissions. Carbon dioxide
emissions from natural gas-fired EGUs are limited to 1,000
lbs CO2/MWh. Coal-fired EGUs carbon dioxide emissions
are limited to 1,400 lbs. CO2/MWh. The company has no
plans to add new coal-fired generation.
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) rule set
numeric emission limits for mercury, toxic metals and
acid gases. MATS became effective on April 16, 2012,
and compliance with MATS was required by April 2015.
After receiving numerous petitions for reconsideration
of this rule, on Nov. 19, 2014, the EPA modified the MATS
provisions applicable during startup and shutdown.
SCE&G initially applied for and received a one-year
extension from SCDHEC for both McMeekin and Canadys.
With the retirement of Canadys in the fourth quarter
of 2013, only McMeekin has a waiver that allowed
the continued use of coal until April 2016. Due to the
additional requirements of the reconsideration rule issued
in late 2014, extensions were also granted by SCDHEC for
Cope, Wateree, and Williams Stations. These extensions,
which also expire in April 2016, allow time to install
additional pollution control devices that will enhance the
control of certain MATS-regulated pollutants.
In August 2015, the EPA issued two rules addressing the
emission of greenhouse gases from electric generating
units (EGU), one for existing units and one for new or
modified units. These rules were issued in response to
the President’s June 2013 Climate Action Plan.
The second rule published in August 2015, was issued
under the authority of Section 111(d) of the Clean Air
Act and governs existing power plants. The EPA has
determined a “Best System of Emissions Reduction” (BSER)
for these existing plants. The BSER includes three “Building
Blocks,” including heat rate reduction at coal-fired plants,
redispatch of electric generation from coal to natural gas
plants, and substituting zero-emission generation for
existing coal-fired plants. The final rule differs from the
2014 proposed rule, which did not give proper credit to
new nuclear units being constructed in South Carolina and
several other states. The August 2015 final rule does give
proper credit to those nuclear units.
Cope Station and Jasper Generating Plant (pictured here) were built with
closed-cycle cooling systems to help minimize their water usage.
Using this BSER, the EPA established targets for each state covered by the 111(d) rule and has proposed various pathways
for each state to comply with those targets. Those pathways include rate-based compliance plans, wherein each EGU would
be required to meet an emission rate target. Alternatively, a state may select a mass-based compliance plan, in which an
EGU would be allocated a CO2 cap. In both the rate and mass-based plans, EGUs would have the opportunity to purchase
credits or allocations to assist in meeting those targets.
SCE&G has no plans to add new coal-fired generation but is currently constructing two new nuclear generation units. The
new nuclear credit in addition to the company’s plans to add renewables and energy efficiency measures are expected to
help it achieve compliance with the Clean Power Plan. However, it is not known what specific measures and requirements
may be promulgated in the final State Implementation Plan. Currently, there is a Supreme Court stay of the Clean Power
Plan, so the next compliance steps for South Carolina and SCE&G are not certain.
Urquhart Station began burning natural gas exclusively in 2012,
allowing the plant to demolish and remove its coal-handling equipment.
Life After Coal: A Visible Transformation at Urquhart Station
Urquhart Station began operating in 1953 as a coal-fired generating station in Beech
Island, S.C., and remained a key part of SCE&G’s coal fleet for half a century. But over time,
coal is being replaced as a fuel as regulators and utilities seek to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
In 2002, the coal-fired boilers on Urquhart Units 1 and 2 were
retired, and the units were repowered to burn natural gas
with the installation of two gas turbines and heat recovery
steam generators. This reduced the plant’s emissions and
helped SCE&G meet emissions requirements. Then, in 2012,
Urquhart Unit 3 began burning natural gas exclusively,
again reducing the company’s emissions and ending the
plant’s use of coal.
Until recently, despite a dramatic transformation in how it
generates electricity, Urquhart Station’s years as a coal plant
were still visible to the eye, especially on the exterior. But over
the last several years, through a series of projects completed
in 2015, the landscape has significantly changed.
After the plant stopped burning coal, it was time to
decommission the retired coal yard, said Ray Ammarell, an
engineer with SCE&G’s Fossil Hydro group.
“It needed to be cleared, and the coal handling system
demolished, so it wouldn’t become a deteriorating problem,”
Ammarell said. “There were transfer towers, coal unloading
equipment, railroad spur line – all the things we once needed
to run a coal plant.”
The space where a railroad once stood for coal delivery now serves as a pathway
between different areas of the plant’s campus.
As the clearance was in process, SCE&G’s Fossil Hydro group
decided it was also the right time to enhance the plant’s
oil-containment infrastructure to reduce the potential for
Pictured on this page starting at the bottom:
The coal receiving area and railroad spur were removed in stages,
eventually leaving a grassy field as shown in the top photo on page 12.
spillage into the nearby Savannah River. By redesigning
containment ponds and diverting storm water runoff, SCE&G
has prepared Urquhart Station to limit its impact to soil and
groundwater into the future.
Dave Jerome, Urquhart Station plant manager, said the inside
of the main building looks much the same as it always has,
but those who work there every day know the difference.
“It’s certainly a different plant now to people who have
worked here for 25 years,” Jerome said. “And if you look where
the coal yard used to be, that’s radically different. It’s a flat
area with green grass growing.”
Jerome said the plant continues to look toward the future in
terms of upgrades and improvements.
“We’re still a valuable generating asset and we’re happy to be
that, and we will likely be a valuable generating asset for years
to come,” Jerome said. “We’re happy to still be here and be a
part of SCE&G’s generation portfolio.”
With fields of grass where coal yards once were, and a
footpath where rail cars once parked, Urquhart Station
stands as an example of SCE&G’s commitment to protect
the environment while delivering safe, reliable electricity
to customers.
Water
Today, SCE&G’s fossil-fuel plants are withdrawing
125 billion fewer gallons of water each year than just
five years ago thanks to water conservation efforts,
the use of closed cooling and plant retirements.
SCE&G’s newest plants, Cope Station and Jasper
Generating Plant, were built with closed-cycle cooling
systems. The Cope plant also primarily draws its water from
groundwater sources, reducing demand on the South
Fork Edisto River. The two new units being built at the
V.C. Summer Nuclear Station will also have closed-cycle
cooling systems.
SCE&G’s Wateree Station installed a closed-cycle cooling
system that has reduced the need to withdraw water from
the Wateree River by nearly 90 percent since 2005.
Plant Water Withdrawals
for Coal, Natural Gas &
Nuclear Generating Units
Measured in billions of gallons
In October 2011, SCE&G and the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control entered
into an agreement regarding ash storage at Wateree
Station. To fulfill our obligation, SCE&G has installed
systems at Wateree to be able to handle ash in a dry
manner and send it directly to recycling or a landfill
without discharge to an ash pond. The company also
began work in 2012 to remove ash from the pond - work
that started well before the Coal Combustion Residual
(CCR) rule required that work to take place. To date, more
than 875,000 tons of ash has been removed.
Standards for Water
In May 2014, the EPA published the Intake Structures
Rule (316(b)), which requires the use of “best technology
available” at cooling water intake structures to help
minimize impact to aquatic life. SCE&G is well positioned
to meet this rule through the use of closed-cycle cooling
towers at Jasper Generating Plant, Cope, Wateree, and
V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3. At V.C. Summer Unit 1,
cooling water is withdrawn from Lake Monticello, which
was designed and intended to be a dedicated source
of cooling water for this unit. At Urquhart and Williams
Stations, SCE&G has begun studies of the cooling water
systems, to determine what, if any, changes to water
withdrawal are needed.
2014 470
2015 452
2013 529
2012 531
2010 578
2011 526
On September 30, 2015, the EPA amended the Effluent
Limitation Guideline for Steam Electric Power Generators.
The standards under this rule were set to match the “Best
Available Technology” for wastewater produced at this
type of electric generating facilities. The most significant
and difficult water to treat is flue-gas desulfurization (FGD)
wastewater. FGD wastewater is generated at Wateree and
Williams Stations.
Under the Clean Water Act, compliance with applicable
limitations is achieved under State-issued National Permit
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Now
that the rule is effective, state environmental regulators
will modify the NPDES permits to match more restrictive
standards, thus requiring utilities to retrofit each facility
with new wastewater treatment technologies. Compliance
dates will vary by type of wastewater and some will be
based on a plant’s five-year permit renewal cycle and thus
may range from 2018 to 2023. Based on the proposed rule,
SCE&G expects that wastewater treatment technology
retrofits will be required at Williams and Wateree at
a minimum.
Recycling
Ongoing recycling efforts help SCANA and its subsidiaries
reduce impact on the environment.
These initiatives include the recycling of used oil and coal
combustion residuals (CCR). SCE&G’s used oil recycling
program, Power Production Opportunities with Energy
Recovery (P2POWER Program), accepts oil from SCE&G
operations and consumes it as fuel for SCE&G power
plants to reduce the amount of coal burned. Each year,
the company combusts, or sells to others for recycle,
approximately 275,000 gallons of used oil to help generate
energy, saving approximately 1,500 tons of coal.
Beneficial Use of CCR
SCE&G’s plants consume about 4.6 million tons of coal per
year, yielding approximately 600,000 tons of CCRs annually.
CCRs are the materials produced from the combustion of
coal in electric power plants. CCRs include coal ash (which
includes bottom and fly ash) and gypsum. CCRs can be
used for a variety of construction and building purposes,
including wallboard, brick, block, concrete and cement.
CCRs used in construction products save significant
Annual CCR Management
quantities of construction raw materials and enable
SCE&G to save 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of landfill
space each year. Every ton of CCR used as a direct
replacement for cement in concrete eliminates the
creation of approximately one ton of carbon dioxide.
Local market demand, price and availability of competing
raw materials, and transportation costs limit the ability to
recycle more at this time.
Closely Managing Coal Combustion Residuals
The management of coal combustion residuals among
utilities has come under recent scrutiny, and in April 2015,
the EPA published a rule that will change how CCRs are
managed. SCE&G controls CCRs in permitted facilities
that comply with all standards, and we are installing
technology to provide additional safeguards. The newly
constructed dry landfills at the Williams, Wateree and Cope
plants meet all CCR Rule requirements and use the most
up-to-date storage technology. SCE&G has permanently
closed landfills at Urquhart and McMeekin Stations. The
in-ground ponds at Canadys Station will also be closed as
soon as practical.
CCRs delivered for
Beneficial Use
2010 117 273
2011 178
307
2012 213
354
2013 223
407
2014 192
387
2015 225
336
2015 250
387
336
2010 573
2011 505
2012 384
2013 271
2014 321
407
354
273
307
Current Year to Disposal
CCRs removed from storage for beneficial use
Current Year to Beneficial Reuse
Current Year to Beneficial Reuse
SCE&G has also committed to decommissioning all wet
ash ponds and handling facilities. Accomplishing this will
require a considerable undertaking on the company’s part
during the next eight years.
Nuclear Safety
Buildings containing nuclear equipment are specially
built to ensure that radiation is safely contained. V.C.
Summer’s design ensures the reliability of plant systems,
provides redundancy and diversity of key safety systems,
and incorporates other safety features to prevent
incidents that could pose a threat to public health and
safety. The combination of robust structures, a wellarmed professional security force and multiple backup
safety systems provides layer upon layer of safety. Plant
personnel also use state-of-the-art technology to monitor
plant operations and various aspects of the surrounding
environment such as fish, water, air and plants to ensure
radiation stays in its place.
V.C. Summer currently uses a used fuel pool to safely and
securely store nuclear fuel. The company has managed
used nuclear fuel and other nuclear waste byproducts
safely and efficiently for three decades.
V.C. Summer’s current fuel pool has enough capacity to
safely store used fuel. SCE&G will soon begin dry storing
used nuclear fuel in dry containers – robust, steel-lined,
concrete containers. These containers are one of the
storage methods used by nuclear stations across the
United States. As we have done safely for years with the
existing unit, SCE&G will store on site used fuel from the
new reactors. The new nuclear units will have their own
fuel storage facilities, and dry storage is an option for
longer term storage for the new units as well. Although
SCE&G supports the construction of a permanent federal
repository for used nuclear fuel, the company is able to
safely store the used fuel on site.
U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory
Each year, U.S. utilities submit Toxic Release Inventory
reports to the EPA that quantify the amount of certain
chemical emissions, in excess of an established threshold,
released off site each year. Electric utility releases are
largely the byproducts of combustion of coal and other
fossil fuels and are released to the air upon combustion or
to water or land as they are managed or stored.
In the past several years, SCE&G has reported a significant
drop in releases, primarily because of the scrubbers added
at the Williams and Wateree Stations.
Toxic Release Inventory
Total All Plants, All Compounds (lbs)
8,686,922
2009
5,451,635
2010
4,478,471
2011
2012
2013
2014
3,482,717
2,769,641
1,484,955
2015 Available July 2016
SCANA, South Carolina and the Clean Power Plan
In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency enacted the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which required
U.S. electric utilities to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants 32 percent
by 2030, compared to 2005 emission levels.
South Carolina government agencies, environmental
organizations and electric utilities began meeting in 2013
to discuss how the state could meet this aggressive goal.
Under the CPP, states must select a “mass-based” or “ratebased” compliance plan, which is then applied to regulated
electric generating units within the state. Under the massbased compliance plan, South Carolina must decrease CO2
emissions from the 2012 baseline year from 35 to 26 million
tons per year. The final rule sets a rate-based goal of 1156
#CO2/MWh for SC that is 36 percent below the state’s 2012
baseline rate.
Although the Supreme Court has put a hold on
implementation of the rule for now, SCANA intends to
continue to participate in South Carolina’s CPP
stakeholder group.
120
ERCs Generated
2022-2030
90
Measured in millions of ERCs
60
The Clean Power Plan gives states and utilities
flexibility in how they reduce CO2 emissions.
Here are some ways SCANA is already
lowering emissions:
•
Building two new nuclear units at V.C. Summer
Station. These units will not only reduce the
dependence on fossil fuel energy generation,
but they will provide carbon-free generation to
meet future energy demand.
• Substituting natural gas for coal at Urquhart
Unit 3 and McMeekin Units 1 & 2, cutting
CO2 intensity by one-third at these units.
30
0
Storing energy at Fairfield Pumped Storage facility allows the remainder of
SCE&G’s generating units to operate more efficiently with lower emissions.
VCS 2&3
EE
RE
Under a rate-based compliance pathway, carbon-free electric
generating units such as new nuclear, wind and solar, will
generate one Emission Reduction Credit (ERC) for every MWh
generated. Energy efficiency projects can also create ERCs – one
for every MWh saved. This chart illustrates the projected ERCs
that will be created in South Carolina by V.C. Summer Units 2 &
3, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy over the CPP’s 2022
through 2030 compliance period. While the EE and RE actuals
could be higher, this chart illustrates how valuable V.C. Summer
Units 2 & 3 will be in meeting CPP compliance targets. South
Carolina will have a surplus of ERCs, which means that it can
comply with the Clean Power Plan, and may be able to sell ERCs
to other states.
•
Helping customers use less energy by offering
energy efficiency (EE) programs. Since launching the Demand Side Management (DSM) Programs in 2011, SCE&G has invested more than $76M in its DSM/EE portfolio resulting in more than
400,000 MWh in energy savings and over 70 MW
in demand savings.
• Installing utility-scale solar installations to take
advantage of South Carolina’s sunshine.
• Using pumped storage to store off-peak energy
to later displace on-peak demand. Off-peak
energy is potentially lower emitting.
Conserving Resources for the Future
Key Highlights
•
•
•
SCE&G unveiled first utility-scale solar facility in North Charleston, S.C.
World’s most advanced wind turbine drivetrain testing facility at
Targeted energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce
energy consumption
The landmark 2014 Distributed Energy Resource Program Act has fostered increased generation of solar
electricity in South Carolina.
SCANA continues to support innovative ways to preserve energy sources and
promote energy efficiency, including an increased focus on growing our renewable
energy efforts and new demand side management programs aimed at reducing
overall energy consumption.
Solar Energy
Home Energy Savings Program
In 2014, SCE&G worked collaboratively with a statewide
group of environmental, utility and solar business
stakeholders to develop comprehensive consensus
legislation, ultimately yielding the landmark Distributed
Energy Resource Program Act (Act 236), which helped
pave the way for increased solar generation across the
state. Since then, SCE&G has unveiled utility-scale solar
generation and established solar incentive programs for
both residential and non-residential customers. For
a detailed look at SCE&G’s solar progress in 2015,
please see p. 20.
In June 2015, SCE&G, Boeing and The Sustainability
Institute launched a new pilot weatherization program,
the Home Energy Savings Program, aimed at helping low
to moderate income and fixed income customers in the
Charleston area.
Home weatherization projects through the new Home
Energy Savings Program will make homes safer and more
energy efficient. Weatherization measures for homes in
the pilot program will include air sealing, wrapping water
heater and hot water pipes, CFL bulb installation, smoke
detector and carbon monoxide detector installation,
attic and crawlspace insulation and duct system repair or
replacement.
Dedicated in 2013 as part of the Clemson University
Restoration Institute (CURI) campus in North Charleston,
the SCE&G Energy Innovation Center is an advanced
energy systems testing and research center. The center
includes the world’s most advanced wind turbine
drivetrain testing facility, which is capable of full-scale
highly accelerated mechanical and electrical testing of
advanced drivetrain systems for wind turbines. A drivetrain
takes energy generated by a turbine’s blades and increases
the rotational speed to drive the electric generator, similar
to the transmission in a car. The versatility of the CURI
facilities will enable Clemson engineers to engage in an
array of mechanical and electrical systems testing for a
broad range of energy markets.
The new program, which is also receiving support from
Social Venture Partners and AmeriCorps, will provide
participants with personalized energy savings, energy
improvement, and energy education for their homes and
will seek to weatherize a total of 80 homes in two years.
The program is part of the South Carolina Energy
Conservation Corps, which recruits, trains, certifies and
provides job placement services for veterans and at-risk
young adults aged 18-25 in the energy efficiency industry.
Small Business Energy Solutions Program
The Small Business Energy Solutions Program is a turnkey
program, tailored to help owners of small businesses
manage energy costs by providing incentives for energy
efficiency lighting and refrigeration upgrades. The
program is available to SCE&G’s small business and small
nonprofit customers with an annual energy use of 250,000
kWh or less.
Pecknel Music in Columbia, S.C. last year completed
a successful lighting upgrade through the program.
Having been in the same building since 1969, manager
Paul Morgan said the business was looking at a lighting
upgrade both for energy-savings and aesthetic reasons.
As a showroom for musical instruments, Pecknel’s front
windows are tinted to protect the instruments from sun
damage, creating a dimming effect that old, incandescent
light bulbs weren’t adequately lighting. Morgan also said
the business could stand to benefit from saving money on
energy bills.
The total cost of Pecknel’s lighting upgrades was $4,460,
with SCE&G covering $3,303 of that amount. Morgan said
his company is on track to get a return on its portion of
the investment in the seven-month period estimated in
the proposal. Pecknel is already looking at ways to invest
the savings back into the business, such as other interior
upgrades or new inventory.
The wind turbine drive-train testing facility at the SCE&G Innovation Center is
capable of simulating 20 years of field conditions in just months.
Key features of the Small Business Energy Solutions
Program include:
•
•
•
•
•
Free, on site energy use analysis
Simple, cost-effective options and easy-to-follow
recommendations to help manage lighting and
refrigeration related expenses
Financial incentives that cover 80 percent of the total
cost (up to $4,000) for most lighting and refrigeration
retrofit projects
Fast return on investment
Removal, and environmentally friendly disposal,
of old fluorescent lamps and ballasts
SCE&G Unveils First
Utility-Scale Solar Facility
and Grows Customer-Scale
Solar Generation through
Incentive Programs
Representatives of SCE&G and TIG Sun Energy together unveiled the Jerry Zucker Solar Park.
– Photo by John D. Smoak III
In January 2016, SCE&G and TIG Sun Energy unveiled the first utility-scale solar facility
under South Carolina’s Distributed Energy Resource Program Act, which came online in
December 2015.
Located on Leeds Avenue in North Charleston, the
500-killowatt facility was developed by South Carolinabased TIG Sun Energy III, a member of The InterTech Group.
The facility was named Jerry Zucker Solar Park after the late
founder and CEO of The InterTech Group. It is located on
land formerly used by SCE&G for office space.
Using more than 2,000 solar panels, the facility will
generate approximately 946 megawatt hours of clean
energy a year – enough energy to power 80 homes.
“This is a significant moment in our move toward more
renewable energy generation,” said Danny Kassis, vice
president of customer relations and renewables for SCE&G.
“By adding utility-scale solar capacity to our system, we
take another step toward building a clean energy future
for South Carolina.”
SCE&G is also working to develop a solar installation in
Cayce, adjacent to SCANA’s corporate headquarters off
Interstate 77, which will have a generating capacity of
approximately 2 MW. The company plans to announce
additional power purchase agreements for utility-scale
solar power in 2016.
“We’re creating a balanced energy portfolio that can
serve the needs of customers who want the benefits of
alternative forms of generation,” said Kassis.
SCE&G plans to add 42 megawatts of utility-scale solar
generation to its system, with an additional 42 MW of
customer-scale solar generation, for a total of 84 MW by
2020. The company expects 30 MW of that to come online
by the end of 2016.
As of early 2016, SCE&G had 700 residential solar
customers, a number that has increased recently as a
result of the incentive programs that were issued in fall
2015. Residential customers may take advantage of a
Performance Based Incentive (PBI), which started in fall
2015 at 4 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for all of the solar
production output of their system. This incentive will be
in addition to existing Net Energy Metering agreements,
and will last for a period of 10 years, ultimately leading
to shorter payback periods for customers interested in
installing solar on their rooftops. As more solar capacity
is added to the system, the incentive amount will
decrease for subsequent solar customers. Learn more at
www.sceg.com/solar.
Located on Leeds Avenue in North Charleston, the 500 kW
Jerry Zucker Solar Park is SCE&G’s first utility-scale solar facility.
“The combination of a new performance-based incentive
along with the existing net energy metering will help
customers significantly realize the benefit of investing in solar
generation,” said John Raftery, general manager of renewable
products and services for SCE&G. “This means residential
customers could potentially pay off their rooftop solar
investments in as little as six years.”
For nonresidential customers, a Bill Credit Agreement
incentive will allow SCE&G to credit all of a customer’s solar
electricity production directly on that customer’s utility
bill based on the size of the system. A special Bill Credit
Agreement has also been developed for churches, schools
and municipalities. Learn more about nonresidential solar
programs: www.sceg.com/BusinessSolar.
Residential customers and certain nonprofit organizations,
such as schools, churches and municipalities, will also begin
to have opportunities to participate in SCE&G-managed
Community Solar farms starting in 2016. Community Solar
is the most economical entry into solar power and provides
customers an opportunity to invest in off site solar instead
of rooftop solar. It also opens up solar energy to residential
customers who rent their homes.
SCE&G plans to add 84 MW solar energy to its system by 2020, including both utilityand customer-scale solar generation.
Commitment to Our Community
Key Highlights
•
•
•
Response to community needs after historic flooding event
in South Carolina
Support for innovative environmental education programs at
S.C. Aquarium and Camp Leopold
Bringing the stories of U.S. military veterans to life through
USS Yorktown’s War Stories
Elementary students helped present a gift at the South Carolina Aquarium to support
educational programs there.
Giving back to our community is a part of SCANA’s core values, and 2015 brought unique
challenges and opportunities to the employees and communities we serve.
From the tragedy at Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in
Charleston to the historic flooding that affected much
of South Carolina, the company had opportunities to
support our communities in ways we never had before. It
was also a year during which SCANA employees gave of
themselves in unprecedented ways; they gave a record
amount to United Way, had the top fundraising team for
the American Heart Association’s Midlands Heart Walk and
moved their annual holiday food drive to earlier in the year
to help meet local hunger needs. Here’s a look at some
more of SCANA’s 2015 community-focused projects.
which is named after the parent of a former PSNC Energy
employee who was a patient at the center. In December,
PSNC Energy employees decorated the burn center for the
Christmas holidays, and will continue its partnership with
the burn center.
PSNC Energy funds UNC Jaycee Burn Center
Play Therapy Room
Elementary students help SCE&G present
gift to South Carolina Aquarium
For almost a decade, PSNC Energy has supported the
North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care.
In October 2015, PSNC made a $200,000 donation to the
burn center for a much needed play therapy room to help
child burn victims.
In April 2015, fourth graders from Knightsville Elementary
who were visiting the aquarium to learn about aquatic
habitats, food chains and adaptations, helped SCE&G
present the South Carolina Aquarium with a $100,000 gift
to support its educational school programs, which are
donation-funded and free to schools.
“Although this is just a small place in a huge hospital,
when you come here, see the patients, and you see the
people that work here and what they do— this playroom
is very important to them,” said Rusty Harris, vice president
of gas operations.
The playroom is equipped with toys that allow children
to improve their dexterity, including a reading corner,
The Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care is a 36-bed
facility and one of the few in the U.S. that is American Burn
Association-verified for adult and pediatric care. The center
was recertified in 2012 and found to be one of the best
comprehensive burn centers in the world.
The aquarium helps carry out its mission “to inspire
conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring
for animals, by excelling in education and research, and
by providing an exceptional visitor experience” through
educational programs, which help bring the experience
and learning opportunities into the community. Some of
these programs include:
PSNC Energy’s donation to the NC Jaycee Burn Center
will provide a much needed play therapy room to help child burn victims.
through hands-on lessons focusing on wildlife, wetland
• Sea Turtle Rescue Program – this is the only
rehabilitation facility of its kind in South Carolina;
• Structured School Program – award-winning, state
standards-aligned STEM (science/technology/engineering/
math) education program mainly serving students and
teachers in Title I schools;
• Rovers Educational Outreach Program – a STEM
education program with a curriculum designed for
preschoolers and adults that travels to remote and
rural areas of the state with live animals and a natural
science curriculum;
• High School Intern Program – a four-month training
course offered to 20 Charleston-area high school juniors
in Title I schools that includes mentorship in resumebuilding, cover letter writing and interviewing skills.
SCE&G supports Camp Leopold’s mission
of environmental education
A $30,000 gift from SCE&G to the South Carolina Waterfowl
Association (SCWA) will allow third through seventh
grade students to take field trips to Camp Leopold and
participate in camp activities designed to help them
achieve academic standards in science, reading and math
and upland ecology. Operated by the SCWA, Camp
Leopold is held at the nation’s largest youth wildlife and
natural resource conservation education center. More than
4,000 campers will participate in Camp Leopold during the
school year. Camp Leopold is helping meet a tremendous
need for outdoor natural resource conservation education
in South Carolina and across the United States.
SCE&G supports Riverbanks Zoo expansion
SCE&G and Riverbanks Zoo have had a unique
relationship since before the zoo opened in 1974. A
special 99-year lease agreement between SCE&G and
the City of Columbia, providing approximately 20 acres
of land for $1 per year, helped make the zoo a reality.
Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia has greatly evolved since it
opened, but its mission to foster appreciation and concern
for all living things remains the same. Riverbanks has
recently undergone the largest expansion in its history—
SCE&G employee volunteers helped build a new children’s playground at One80 Place
homeless shelter in Charleston.
Destination Riverbanks. Highlights of the $36-million
development project include a new entrance plaza to
accommodate more guests, a state-of-the-art guest services
center, additional ticket booths, a lost and found, a private
area for nursing mothers and a larger gift shop.
In support of this expansion, SCE&G made a $225,000
donation toward the new guest services building.
Additionally, as part of SCE&G’s ongoing commitment to
renewable energy, a $25,000 donation was made to help
the zoo invest in solar energy. This gift partially matches the
$50,000 grant that the Zoo received in 2014 from Palmetto
Clean Energy (PaCE), a South Carolina nonprofit that
promotes renewable energy resources. Through the grant,
the Zoo will be able to install solar panels on its new guest
services building.
Employees help build One80 Place Playground
SCE&G employee volunteers prepared the area outside One80 Place
for playground installation.
Nationally and locally, the number of homeless families
continues to increase. Charleston’s One80 Place provides
food, shelter and critical supportive services to help
homeless individuals, veterans and families turn their lives
around. The effects of homelessness can be devastating for
anyone, but children are especially helpless. In 2015, SCE&G
provided a donation of $31,000 to One80 Place, and 20
employee volunteers helped build the SCE&G Family Center
Playground. The playground is designed to be an outlet for
children living there, in turn boosting their developmental
skills and helping combat the effects of living in a shelter.
USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier docked at Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Charleston,
South Carolina.
The SCE&G Family Center Playground is located directly
in front of the Family Center, in a safe and secluded
spot where mothers and children can play together and
feel secure.
SCE&G also helped support One80 Place’s 30,000 sq. ft.
facility in downtown Charleston that opened in late 2014.
Donation and vehicles help repair homes
of seniors
To help further support the needs of senior citizens in
South Carolina, SCE&G in October presented a $50,000
donation to Sustaining Our Seniors of S.C., a nonprofit
organization aimed at promoting independence, wellness
and a better quality of life for seniors.
SCE&G’s contribution helped Sustaining Our Seniors of S.C.
further assist seniors in need, particularly those who were
impacted by the historic flooding. SCE&G also presented
two vehicles to Home Works of America, a partner
organization of Sustaining Our Seniors of S.C., to support
the organization’s efforts to repair the homes of elderly or
disadvantaged residents in South Carolina.
Gift to USS Yorktown Foundation
brings war stories to life
SCE&G presented a $125,000 donation to the USS
Yorktown Foundation to fund the preservation of veteran
war stories and oral histories by the Patriots Point Naval
& Maritime Museum. The donation enabled the museum
to expand its already popular video series titled “War
Stories” and purchase the equipment needed to record
video archives of veteran stories that will help bring the
museum to life.
“By detailing and preserving these very personal stories of
courage and sacrifice of these American servicemen and
women critical to our country’s history can we maintain
the foundation for future liberty and freedom,” said Keller
Kissam, president of retail operations for SCE&G. “It is not
only an honor, but something we deem a responsibility for
our company on behalf of our employees.”
Patriots Point’s video archiving projects are produced
inside a recently built studio aboard the USS YORKTOWN.
They will be presented through touch-screen kiosks on
museum tour routes, as well as through social media and
future educational symposiums.
Flood waters in North Charleston’s Pepperhill subdivision created an extra challenge
for SCE&G crews working to restore electricity.
SCE&G Responds to 1,000-Year Flood
The first weekend of October 2015 brought historic levels of rain to much of South
Carolina. When it finally stopped raining, more than 11 trillion gallons of rain had fallen
on the state, causing unprecedented floods and widespread destruction.
Across South Carolina, dozens of dams were breached
and more than 360 roads and 165 bridges were closed,
including sections of three major interstate highways.
At peak, there were approximately 15,000 weatherrelated electric outages in SCE&G’s service territory.
The flood waters presented our employees with unique
conditions, but they worked throughout the event to
safely maintain system infrastructure and restore power.
In North Charleston, electric crews braved flood waters
to de-energize affected sections of the Pepperhill
subdivision so that power could then safely be restored
to those homes.
As SCE&G electric outage restoration was wrapping up,
we also began to use our unique resources and
equipment to assist with other types of flood recovery.
In northeast Richland County, we worked alongside the
National Guard, local agencies and residents to help
secure Beaver Dam. Using a crane truck to position large
sandbags, this group effort helped prevent flooding that
a dam breach would have caused.
A breach of the historic Columbia Canal compromised the
reservoir that serves as the source of drinking water for
hundreds of thousands in the Columbia area, and SCE&G
was also called upon to work with the National Guard and
City of Columbia to help with repairs.
Serving our community is one of SCE&G’s core values,
and our employees quickly stepped up to help with
flood recovery. When the flood increased need among
South Carolina food banks, SCE&G employees responded
by moving their annual holiday food drive to earlier in
the year, donating 6,788 lbs. of food, an increase of
55 percent from the previous year, to help food banks
around the state. Power Delivery employees held a
barbecue fundraiser that raised more than $9,000 for
local food banks. The company made donations to the
American Red Cross of the Palmetto SC Region, United
Way of the Midlands and The Trident United Way to assist
with relief efforts.
SCE&G helped the National Guard, local agencies and residents secure Beaver Dam in northeast Richland County.
Sandbags were used to help secure Beaver Dam in
Richland County.
SCE&G employees de-energized affected sections of a North Charleston neighborhood so power could safely be restored.
Rising waters forced many residents of Pepperhill subdivision
to evacuate.
The Gervais Street Bridge spans the Congaree River, which flows between South Carolina’s
capital city, Columbia, and the City of Cayce, home of SCANA’s corporate headquarters.
SCANA Environmental Policy
SCANA recognizes the environment is a precious and fragile resource, and we accept our social responsibility to conduct
business in a way that protects it. While we are committed to our mission to provide energy and related products to retail
markets in the Southeast, it is also our pledge to do so in an environmentally sensitive manner.
SCANA is committed to:
• Utilizing innovation and cost-effective technology to minimize waste and improve the quality of our air emissions and water discharges;
• Supporting projects that foster stewardship of natural resources;
• Meeting all local, state and federal environmental laws, regulations and other requirements;
• Training employees on general environmental awareness and environmental aspects of their work;
• Establishing objectives and targets to improve environmental performance;
• Continually seeking improvements to processes, procedures and systems to manage environmental impacts; and
• Enhancing open communication with stakeholders to build respect and trust for SCANA.
Therefore, we value: Preventing pollution
Respecting the environment
Observing environmental laws and regulations
Training employees
Establishing environmental objectives and targets
Continually improving environmental management
Transparent communication
100 SCANA Pkwy | Cayce, SC 29033-3712 | 803-217-9000

2015 Environmental Report

Transcription

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