Exelon works toward slashing emissions

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Power generator Exelon Corp. said Wednesday that it is more than a third of the way toward its goal of eliminating the equivalent of its 2001 carbon footprint by 2020 by slashing its greenhouse gas emissions and those of its customers.

So far, Chicago-based Exelon said it has cut emissions by more than 6 million metric tons. The goal, announced a year ago, is to reduce, offset or displace more than 15 million tons of emissions by 2020. Exelon has said it still will emit greenhouse gases in 2020, but at much lower levels.

Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe said much of the achievements so far have occurred by cutting energy consumption across the company's facilities by 16 percent, including 50 percent reduction at the corporate office. The company also has boosted production at one of its nuclear plants and acquired the energy production from a wind farm.

Exelon, the nation's largest nuclear power generator, already is a low emitter of greenhouse gases compared with other large power generators because of the size of its nuclear power operations. It operates reactors that represent approximately 20 percent of the U.S. nuclear industry's power capacity.

Rowe said much of the rest of the goal can be achieved by expanding production from its nuclear power plants, helping customers become more energy efficient and adding energy from wind. The rest could come from such things as retiring coal-burning power plants, he said.

Exelon utilities ComEd in northern Illinois and PECO in southeast Pennsylvania have said they will spend more than $350 million through 2011 on energy efficiency and programs that help residential and business customers cut energy consumption. ComEd also has started a pilot project in the Chicago area to test meters that give customers information on real-time electricity usage so they can better manage bills and reduce consumption.

The effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions has come as the recession has reduced demand for energy, and natural gas prices, which often are used to set market prices for electricity, have plummeted. Rowe said technologies that once looked promising look less attractive now and options that once looked too expensive now are more reasonable.

Exelon has been a supporter of legislation that would limit carbon dioxide emissions. Rowe said the legislation is vital to help Exelon achieve its goals.

"We think this climate problem has to be dealt with," Rowe said.

Exelon has 5.4 million electric customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania. It also has 480,000 natural gas customers in the Philadelphia area.

___

On the Net: http://www.exeloncorp.com

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.