"There is a price to pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it will be expensive," says National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Glenn English. "But as co-ops, we have a responsibility to protect you, our members."

With electric cooperative power requirements increasing nationwide by four percent annually, meeting this demand could become pricey. Coal is the least expensive and most abundant power generation source accounting for more than two-thirds of electric co-op generation. Many existing coal-fired plants will need to be retrofitted to accommodate increased regulations on emission control. (17661-02)

According to Rural Electric Magazine, over the next decade, generation and transmission cooperatives plan to spend more than $5 billion installing technologically advanced pollution-control devices on coal plants to cut emissions of regulated pollutants. These measures will reduce sulfur dioxide by 99 percent, nitrogen oxides by 90 percent and mercury anywhere from 25 to 85 percent.

The House and Senate have passed energy legislation with efficiency and renewable energy measures that the majority claim would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 10.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. As a member of Power Partners, NRECA is improving the efficiency of electricity generation, transmission and distribution to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases.

Data from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates that total renewable energy consumption increased to seven percent between 2005 and 2006. And, the trend is on the rise.

Through a strong push for energy conservation and Green Power EMC, Tri-County EMC is offsetting power generated from traditional means. <<