Emissions Data

The database file is a download from the US EPA Air Markets Program Data (AMPD) on January 22, 2013. The data are for the 3rd calendar quarter (July - September) of 2012. Data for individual reporting emission units (boilers+stacks) are aggregated to the level of a single power plant. All continental US power plants and a few other US point sources covered under the US EPA's various point source control programs (e.g., the Acid Rain Program, the SIP NOx Program, the Clean Air Interstate Rule, etc) are included in this file. This data set is also known as the Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) data.

The data are organized by US state (2-letter US Post Office abbreviation). In addition to the facility's name, the point source's US DOE identification number (ORISPL) and centroid latitude and longitude (degrees, N/E = positive) are included. Emissions totals from each facility for the 3rd calendar quarter of 2012 are reported for sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO+NO2), and carbon dioxide (CO2) in short tons per calendar quarter (1 short ton = 907.185 kg). To convert SO2, NOx, and CO2 mass emissions to molar units, the following molecular weights are typically used: SO2 = 64.1 g/mol, NOx = 46.0 g/mol, CO2 = 44.0 g/mol. Also reported for each facility are two measures of the facility's total production for the 3rd calendar quarter of 2012: heat input applied to the boilers in millions of British thermal units (MMBtu), and gross load (i.e., electrical power generated) in megawatt-hours (MW-h).

For more information about the individual generation units (including details about the fuel used and control strategies employed), as well as the origin of the CEMS data set, please see AMPD. For questions about the data file, contact Greg Frost, 303-497-7539.