Living Green

Georgia is second only to Texas in increased carbon emissions from its power plants since 2002, according to a national report released Tuesday by an environmental advocacy group.

Georgia's power plants increased carbon dioxide emissions by 16.8 million tons in five years, a 20 percent increase, according to the report from Washington-based Environmental Integrity Project. Georgia's ranking was based on the increase in tons, not the percentage.

Eric Schaeffer, a former top regulator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who directs the Environmental Integrity Project, said the purpose of the report, titled "Running Out of Time," is to highlight that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise now, and to encourage energy efficiency and alternative sources.

The international scientific community has said greenhouse gases from vehicles, power plants and other industrial sources contribute to global warming.

"The nature of CO2 is, once it gets in the atmosphere, it's not going away," Schaeffer said. "You need long-term goals. We're just saying while we debate this, it [carbon emissions] gets worse by the day."

Georgia has 10 coal-fired power plants, all operated by Georgia Power. Two of them —- Plant Scherer and Plant Bowen —- are among the top three carbon emitting power plants in the nation, with Scherer holding the top spot.

Two additional coal-fired power plants have been proposed in Georgia by other utilities. Georgia's power plants combined, which include natural gas plants, rank eighth in the nation for carbon dioxide emissions.

EIP, which analyzed data from the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, said Georgia's increase is probably due to increased demand.

Georgia Power plans to meet future demand with two additional 1,200-megawatt nuclear reactors, which don't emit CO2, at Plant Vogtle, near Waynesboro. The utility has been touting its efforts to decrease smog-forming pollutants and mercury from its coal-fired plants. But there are no controls for carbon dioxide, and the EPA does not require any. Experts, including those at Georgia Power, say that's likely to change.

That's why Georgia Power and other utilities nationwide are scrambling to develop technology to control carbon emissions. A report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said, however, that may not happen until at least 2025.

"There are experts talking about this almost every week now because of the seriousness of the issue and because we're going to have to have coal as part of the mix," said Frank Maisano, a spokesman for the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, a group of power companies that includes Southern Co., the parent company of Georgia Power.