Improving the overall environmental performance of existing power generating facilities

Superior environmental performance has not traditionally been a goal of managers of power generating facilities, but there is now considerable pressure to go "beyond compliance," even for facilities that have been in existence for decades. In this regard, significant environmental improvement can be achieved by taking a life-cycle perspective. The authors have conducted a streamlined life-cycle assessment on an existing gas/oil-fired generating facility. With the results of this assessment as a basis, they propose a number of generic steps that can be taken to improve the environmental performance of most existing power generating facilities.