Improving the overall environmental performance of existing power generating facilities

Superior environmental performance has not traditionally been a goal of man agers of power generating facilities, but there is now considerable pressur e to go "beyond compliance," even for facilities that have been in existenc e for decades. In this regard, significant environmental improvement can be achieved by taking a life-cycle perspective. We have conducted a streamlin ed life-cycle assessment on an existing gas/oil-fired generating facility. With the results of this assessment as a basis, we propose a number of gene ric steps that can be taken to improve the environmental performance of mos t existing power generating facilities.