Electric power plants are the leading cause of industrial air pollution in the state of Pennsylvania. For years Clean Air Council has been concerned with the air pollution produced by electric power plants. Coal burning power plants provide over 60% of the power generated in the state of Pennsylvania. The electric power industry is responsible for 66% of the total sulfur dioxide (SO₂), 35% of the total carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 29% of the total Nitrogen Oxide (NO_x) emissions nationwide.

Every year many millions of tons of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter are released into the air. Emissions from burning coal have devastating environmental and public health impacts.

The life-cycle of a non-renewable fuel:

1. Coal and uranium (radioactive element used to make nuclear power) need to be extracted from the ground before they can be used in a power plant.
   
2. Once extracted from the ground the fuels need to be shipped to the power plant that will use them to make electricity.
   
3. Once these fuels are burned, they leave behind toxic ash and radioactive waste.
   

Click on the links below to learn more about the main pollutants from electricity generation:

Nuclear Power | Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) | Carbon dioxide (C0₂)

Nuclear Power
Nuclear power plants do not produce the same air pollutants that fossil fuel powered plants do, but instead generate radioactive wastes which pose both immediate and long term threats to humans and the environment. Radioactive wastes are highly toxic materials that cause birth defects and retard growth in plants and animals. Radioactive waste remains dangerous for thousands of years, and currently there is no facility that has been constructed for the permanent storage or disposal of it. Some radioactive wastes are active (dangerous) for over 20,000 years.

Nuclear power plants, decades ago, were promised to generate "electricity that was too cheap to meter". It was a new technology, and was poorly understood. Burgeoning construction costs, operations and maintenance, and storage and ultimate disposal of radioactive waste have all proven to be major financial liabilities. Today it is evident that nuclear power is a very expensive way to make electricity. PECO Energy's heavy investment in nuclear power is a primary reason why its customers pay higher rates than the national average.

Nuclear power is sometimes misrepresented as an "environmentally friendly" source of electricity because there are no air emissions.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)
Sulfur dioxide is one of the main contributing gases that make acid rain. While water vapor floats above the earth's surface it comes in contact with and absorbs sulfur dioxide making sulfuric acid. The more sulfur dioxide that exists in the atmosphere the higher the acidity of precipitation will be. Acid rain is responsible for increased animal mortality, animal birth defects and acidification of lakes and streams. Pennsylvania has the most acidic rainfall in the country.

Nitrogen Dioxide (NOx)
Nitrogen oxides also contribute to acid rain. In addition, nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of ozone (O3), which is the primary ingredient in smog. Ozone is created when sunlight and heat react with the nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOC's) from power plants and automobiles. Instead of acting as a protective layer from ultraviolet rays high in the atmosphere, when ozone is found close to the earths surface it is considered a pollutant and causes health problems. Ground level ozone exacerbates respiratory illness such as asthma and emphysema, especially in children and older adults. More asthma related hospital visits, and other respiratory emergencies are reported on days when there are high levels of ozone.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas (besides water vapor), which means that it contributes to global warming. Although carbon dioxide is a gas naturally found in the earth's atmosphere, it is considered a pollutant because of the high concentrations that are now present in the atmosphere due to human causes. Since the industrial revolution carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen by over 30%. Most scientists agree that if greenhouse gases continue to rise at their present rate, irreversible damage will result to the worlds ecosystems.