Or. Admin. Code § 345-024-0600

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 10, October 1, 2024

Section 345-024-0600 - Means of Compliance for Non-Base Load Power Plants

The applicant may elect to use any of the following means, or any combination thereof, to comply with the carbon dioxide emissions standard for non-base load power plants or for the incremental carbon dioxide emissions from the operation of a base load gas plant with power augmentation technology:

(1) Designing and operating the facility to produce electrical and thermal energy sequentially from the same fuel source and using the thermal energy to displace another source of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels that would have otherwise continued to occur. The Council shall adopt site certificate conditions ensuring that the carbon dioxide emissions reduction will be achieved.

(2) Implementing offset projects directly or through a third party, pursuant to OAR 345-024-0680. The Council may adopt site certificate conditions ensuring that the proposed offset projects are implemented by the date specified in the site certificate, but shall not require that predicted levels of avoidance, displacement or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions be achieved.

(3) Providing offset funds, directly or through a third party, in an amount deemed sufficient to produce the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions necessary to meet the applicable carbon dioxide emissions standard. The applicant or third party shall use the funds as specified in OAR 345-024-0710. The Council shall deem the payment of the monetary offset rate, pursuant to OAR 345-024-0580, to result in a reduction of one ton of carbon dioxide emissions. The Council shall determine the offset funds using the monetary offset rate and the level of emissions reduction required to meet the applicable standard. If the Council issues a site certificate based on this section, the Council may not adjust the amount of the offset funds based on the actual performance of offsets.

(4) Notwithstanding sections (1), (2) or (3), if the certificate holder exceeds the projected gross carbon dioxide emissions calculated under OAR 345-024-0590(4) during any five-year reporting period described in OAR 345-024-0590(5) and (6), the certificate holder shall offset excess emissions for the specific reporting period according to subsection (a) and shall offset the estimated future excess emissions according to subsection (b). The certificate holder shall offset excess emissions using the monetary path as described in subsection (c) and OAR 345-024-0710 or as approved by the Council.

(a) In determining the excess carbon dioxide emissions that the certificate holder must offset for a five-year period, the Council shall credit the certificate holder with offsets equal to the difference between the carbon dioxide emissions allowed by the site certificate in previous periods and actual emissions, if actual emissions were lower than allowed. Once a certificate holder has used a credit, the certificate holder shall not use it again.

(b) The Council shall specify in the site certificate a methodology for estimating future excess carbon dioxide emissions. The Department of Energy shall calculate estimated future excess emissions. To estimate excess emissions for the remaining period of the deemed life of the facility, the Department shall use the annual average number of hours of operation during the five-year period in which the certificate holder exceeded the estimated gross carbon dioxide emissions described in OAR 345-024-0590(5) and the new and clean heat rate and capacity for the facility, adjusted for the average temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity at the site during the times of the year when the facility is intended to operate. If the annual average hours exceed 6,600, the Department shall estimate emissions at 100 percent capacity for the remaining period of a deemed 30-year life of the facility. At the request of the certificate holder, the Council may, by amendment of the site certificate, use an alternative methodology to estimate future excess carbon dioxide emissions.

(c) The certificate holder shall pay for the net excess carbon dioxide emissions calculated pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) at the monetary path offset rate in real dollars for the quarter and year in which the Council issued the final order that applied the carbon dioxide standard. The Council shall specify in the site certificate the methodology for calculating the real dollar value of the monetary offset rate. The Department shall calculate the net excess carbon dioxide emissions and notify the certificate holder of the amount of the monetary path payment required to offset them. The certificate holder shall pay fully the required amount to the qualified organization within 60 days of notification by the Department of the amount. The certificate holder shall not be eligible for a refund of any monetary path payments due to the calculations in this rule.

(5) Any other means that the Council adopts by rule for demonstrating compliance with the carbon dioxide emissions standard.

(6) If the Council or a court on judicial review concludes that the applicant has not demonstrated compliance with the applicable carbon dioxide emissions standard under sections (1), (2) or (5) of this rule, or any combination thereof, and the applicant agrees to meet the requirements of sections (3) and (4) for any deficiency, the Council or a court shall find compliance based on such agreement.

Or. Admin. Code § 345-024-0600

EFSC 2-1999, f. & cert. ef. 4-14-99; EFSC 1-2000, f. & cert. ef. 2-2-00; EFSC 3-2001, f. & cert. ef. 9-17-01; EFSC 1-2002, f. & cert. ef. 4-3-02; EFSC 1-2003, f. & cert. ef. 9-3-03; EFSC 1-2007, f. & cert. ef. 5-15-07; EFSC 1-2012, f. & cert. ef. 5-15-12

Stat. Auth.: ORS 469.470 & 469.503

Stats. Implemented: ORS 469.501 & 469.503