CT DEEP Issues Air Permits for Towantic Power Plant in Oxford

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in a prepared statement said it has issued permits to CPV Towantic Energy LLC that set air pollution control requirements and limits on air emissions for the construction and operation of an 805 Megawatt (MW) power plant off Woodruff Hill Road, Oxford.

The permits require the facility – which would burn natural gas, with the capability to burn a limited amount of distillate oil if the natural gas supply is curtailed – to comply with some of the most stringent air pollution control requirements in the country and meet emissions limits designed to protect human health and the environment.

Electricity generated by the units will be fed into the regional power grid, providing power for CT and neighboring New England States.

To comply with permit conditions, the plant will use post-combustion controls to limit the emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. The use of natural gas as the primary fuel along, with the latest turbine technology, will limit the emissions of particulate matter.

“Analysis of the permit application by DEEP staff determined that the project will not cause or contribute significantly to a violation of the federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The emissions from the turbines will be subject to either continuous monitoring and/or recurring stack testing to ensure compliance with the permit terms and conditions,” the DEEP writes in its statement.

The permits for the proposed 805 MW power plant replace an earlier DEEP approval for a smaller – but less efficient – plant at that location.

In July, DEEP had issued a tentative determination to approve Towantic’s air permit application and the agency held a public information hearing on the matter at Oxford High School on September 17. A public comment period on the tentative determination was open until September 24 and a Response to Comments was later issued.

The air permits for the Towantic project can be viewed at: www.ct.gov/deep/towanticpermits

The Response to Comments report can be viewed at: www.ct.gov/deep/towanticresponse