Maryland's Power Plant Research Program (PPRP)

The Power Plant Research Program (PPRP) functions to ensure that Maryland meets its electricity demands at reasonable costs while protecting the State's valuable natural resources. It provides a continuing program for evaluating electric generation issues and recommending responsible, long-term solutions.

PPRP was established under the Power Plant Siting and Research Act of 1971. This enlightened legislation provided a model for addressing power plant licensing issues which several other states have adopted.

The enabling legislation established an Environmental Trust Fund to support the Power Plant Research Program. Funding is provided through an environmental surcharge that is assessed on all electricity used in the State. The surcharge adds between 10¢ and 20¢ per month to the average residential customer's electric bill.

Specific Program Mandates
PPRP is responsible for managing a Consolidated Review of all issues related to power generation in Maryland. This role - unique in State government - provides a framework for the comprehensive review of all electric power issues with the goal of balancing need, cost, and impacts.

• New Facilities - Review applications, evaluate impacts, and recommend conditions for proposed power plants, transmission lines, and modifications.
• Existing Facilities - Assess the impacts of electric power production on the State's environmental resources.
• Future Planning - Evaluate long-range plans to meet electricity demand.
  

New Facilities
Electric power generators must obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to build or modify power plants and transmission lines in the State. As part of the review, PPRP:

• Analyzes the need for new generating or transmission capacity, taking into account the cost issues and the conservation alternatives available to reduce electricity demand.
• Consolidates issue analysis involving the Departments of Natural Resources, Environment, Agriculture, Business and Employment Development, and Transportation, the Office of Planning, and the Energy Administration. PPRP usually represents those agencies in the PSC hearing process.
• Evaluates potential impacts of the proposed facility on environmental resources, including air, surface and ground water, terrestrial resources, and cultural and historic resources, while assessing overall site suitability.
• Manages the development of a consolidated set of recommendations to be included as conditions within the CPCN.

 Existing Facilities

PPRP evaluates issues related to operation of the State's power plants and transmission lines greater than 69 kilovolts (kV). Because there are several different types of plants operating in and around Maryland, PPRP must address a broad range of impacts or topics.

Some of these include:
 

Future Planning
Review of long-range plans for power supply is essential to providing adequate electricity to Maryland customers at reasonable cost and schedules. PPRP's involvement in this area includes the following activities:

Development of independent projections of the State's power needs. Assessment of alternative power supply options. Evaluation of Integrated Resource Plans. Assessment of issues related to deregulation in the electric power industry.

 Ongoing Evaluations
PPRP's ongoing assessments involve both plant-specific studies and more general monitoring, research and modeling projects. These projects cover a spectrum of issues, such as environmental impact assessments, technology evaluations and demonstrations, and economic studies. Some representative topics include:

• Acid mine drainage - evaluating the use of combustion by-products as backfill to prevent formation of acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines.
• Atmospheric deposition - analyzing sources, fate, and effects of acid rain precursors, toxic metals, and nitrates, including their impacts on the Chesapeake Bay.
• Aquatic impacts - studying fate and transport of power plant related toxic substances in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland tributaries.
• Industry deregulation - following the national trends in industry restructuring, and evaluating the potential impacts of deregulation and open access on Maryland.
• Radioactivity - monitoring transport and potential impacts of radioactive discharges by Peach Bottom and Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plants.
• Ozone attainment - participating in regional efforts to reduce ambient ozone levels and to understand the role of power plant emissions in ozone formation.
• Electromagnetic fields (EMF) - tracking advances in human health effects research, and assessing EMF levels near Maryland trans-mission lines.

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