Description: Challenge to gas-fired power plant in Texas.
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In re La Paloma Energy Center, LLC
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 03/14/2014 Order Denying Petition for Review Download Review denied. The Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) rejected Sierra Club’s challenge. The EAB was not persuaded by Sierra Club’s argument that Region 6 was required to consider each of three combined cycle natural gas-fired combustion turbine models as a separate technology in its BACT analysis. The EAB deferred to Region 6’s determination that the differences in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from each of the three proposed turbine models were “marginal,” and concluded that Region 6 “did not clearly err or abuse its discretion in determining that the GHG emission limits for all three turbine models represent BACT for highly efficient combined cycle combustion turbines.” The EAB also ruled that Region 6 had not abused its discretion in determining that a solar thermal energy component would “redefine the source” and therefore could be excluded as a potential emissions control alternative. 12/06/2013 Petition for Review Download Petition for review filed. On December 6, 2013, the Sierra Club petitioned the Environmental Appeals Board for review of a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit issued by EPA Region 6 for a natural gas-fired combined cycle electric generating plant in Harlingen, Texas. Sierra Club contended that Region 6 erred by setting three different greenhouse gas best available control technology (BACT) limits and allowing the applicant to determine which limit would apply based on which of three turbine designs the applicant ultimately selected for the power plant. Sierra Club also argued that Region 6 “clearly erred by refusing to consider solar thermal hybrid addition to the proposed natural gas combined cycle power plant, despite being a demonstrated method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without changing the fundamental business purpose of producing electricity through a combined cycle power plant.”