Commenting open: September 13, 2024 12:00AM CT - October 14, 2024 11:59PM CT.
Xcel Energy (Sherburne County Generating Plant) - Air Permit
We invite you to comment on the draft air quality permit for Xcel Energy's Sherburne County Generating Plant.
Xcel Energy operates the Sherburne County Generating Plant, an electricity generating plant in Becker that uses coal, natural gas, and diesel oil as fuel. The plant has a gross generating capacity of 1,658 MW. The facility produces particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants, and carbon dioxide equivalents from its boilers. Its coal, ash, and lime handling processes; process coolers; emergency generators; and an on-site ash landfill generate additional emissions.
The draft air permit includes more stringent limits for emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. It also requires significant process changes leading to reductions in overall emissions. To reflect the retirement of the Unit 2 boiler in December 2023, the draft permit removes the requirements and associated listed equipment for that boiler and adds process coolers that Xcel will install to support electrical condensers repurposed from Unit 2’s generators. With improvements in the routing of trucks hauling ash in and out of the landfill, the draft permit includes stricter limits and lower particulate matter emissions from that process. The permit also enacts stricter sulfur dioxide emission limits due to recent air quality modeling.
An air quality operating permit is required for certain existing facilities or the construction of new facilities that have the potential to emit a significant level of any regulated pollutant. The permit includes all requirements for operation and procedures, applicable rules, emission standards, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. If additional conditions change and modifications are necessary, the MPCA may review and amend the permit.
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We invite you to comment on the draft air quality permit for Xcel Energy's Sherburne County Generating Plant.
Xcel Energy operates the Sherburne County Generating Plant, an electricity generating plant in Becker that uses coal, natural gas, and diesel oil as fuel. The plant has a gross generating capacity of 1,658 MW. The facility produces particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants, and carbon dioxide equivalents from its boilers. Its coal, ash, and lime handling processes; process coolers; emergency generators; and an on-site ash landfill generate additional emissions.
The draft air permit includes more stringent limits for emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. It also requires significant process changes leading to reductions in overall emissions. To reflect the retirement of the Unit 2 boiler in December 2023, the draft permit removes the requirements and associated listed equipment for that boiler and adds process coolers that Xcel will install to support electrical condensers repurposed from Unit 2’s generators. With improvements in the routing of trucks hauling ash in and out of the landfill, the draft permit includes stricter limits and lower particulate matter emissions from that process. The permit also enacts stricter sulfur dioxide emission limits due to recent air quality modeling.
An air quality operating permit is required for certain existing facilities or the construction of new facilities that have the potential to emit a significant level of any regulated pollutant. The permit includes all requirements for operation and procedures, applicable rules, emission standards, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. If additional conditions change and modifications are necessary, the MPCA may review and amend the permit.
Contact Information
*Indicates Required Fields