Results of EPRI's Closed-Cycle Cooling Research Program on Retrofit Costs, Financial Impacts, Energy Production, Environmental and Social Impacts and Retrofit Environmental Benefits

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) completed a large scale research program to inform EPA’s 316(b) Rulemaking on the implications of establishing best technology available (BTA) standards based on closed-cycle cooling.  The research provides information on five issues that include: cost of closed-cycle cooling retrofits, financial impacts, adverse environmental and social impacts associated with cooling towers, electric system impacts and the benefits of closed-cycle cooling to fish and aquatic life.  The closed-cycle cooling retrofit cost estimates include capital costs as well as estimates of lost revenue associated with extended outages, closed-cycle cooling energy requirements (fans and pumps) and reduced condenser cooling efficiency.  The financial impacts study estimates the MWs that may be lost as a result of premature unit retirements for economic reasons, while the electric system impacts study estimates the magnitude and cost of transmission system upgrades that may be necessary to avoid localized overloads and voltage violations due to premature unit retirements and energy inefficiencies.  The research also quantifies environmental and social impacts associated with mechanical draft cooling towers and for some parameters estimates the willingness to pay to avoid impacts.  The results of these studies are then compared to impingement and entrainment reduction benefits that are both quantified and monetized.