Other Federal Agencies

Other federal agencies are involved with many aspects of electric power generation, transmission and distribution. For example, new technologies being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fossil Energy program could virtually eliminate the sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury pollutants released when coal is burned. It may also be possible to capture greenhouse gases emitted from coal-fired power plants and prevent them from contributing to global warming concerns. Other Federal agencies with jurisdiction and/or safety and health programs pertaining to the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution industry are:

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

• Electric Power
• Office of Nuclear Safety. Responsible for establishing nuclear safety requirements and expectations for the Department to ensure protection of workers, the public, and the environment from the hazards associated with nuclear operations.
• Office of Health and Safety. Provides policy and guidance to protect the health and safety of current DOE Federal and contractor employees.
• Office of Environment, Health, Safety & Security. Develops DOE-wide environmental protection policies and strategies for protecting the public and the environment and for achieving environmental compliance with internal and external environmental requirements.
• 10 CFR Part 820, Procedural rules of DOE nuclear activities
• 10 CFR Part 830, Nuclear safety management
• 10 CFR Part 835, Occupational radiation protection
• 10 CFR 707, Workplace substance abuse programs at DOE sites
• 10 CFR 708, DOE contractor employee protection program
• 10 CFR 851, Worker Safety and Health Program
• Search the latest about Federal regulatory initiatives and view over 659 documents and Federal Register notices.
• Office of Fossil Energy. Directs such priority projects as pollution-free coal plants, more productive oil and gas fields, and the continuing readiness of federal emergency oil stockpiles. Fossil fuels supply 85% of the nation's energy.
  • Clean Coal Power Initiative. Describes a new generation of energy processes that sharply reduce air emissions and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants.
  • Overview of Carbon Storage Research. Identifies roughly one third of the United States' carbon emissions come from power plants and other large point sources and to stabilize and ultimately reduce concentrations of this greenhouse gas, it will be necessary to employ carbon sequestration - carbon capture, separation and storage or reuse.
• See Nuclear and Facility Safety Policy Rules, for more information on DOE's current rulemaking.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC which is an independent agency also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects.
  • Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005. Helps to keep track and participate in the activities surrounding implementation of some of the Act's requirements.
  • Electric

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Regulates civilian use of nuclear materials. NRC is an independent agency established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 headed by a five-member Commission. Its mission is to regulate the nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.
• 10 CFR, Nuclear regulatory commission.
  • Volume 1 (Parts 1 - 50)
  • Volume 2 (Parts 51 - 199)
  • Volume 3 (Parts 200 - 499)
  • Volume 4 (Parts 500 - 1800)
• Ways To Access NRC's Regulations. Provides access to regulations and guidance.
• Basic References. Includes links to basic references with regulatory information, key guidance documents, a glossary, general information about NRC and newsletters.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Establishes guidelines for protecting the public from radiation exposure, such as when to evacuate or relocate citizens. EPA also monitors and assesses radioactivity in the environment from an accident to define the extent of exposure from that accident. In addition, as the Lead Federal Agency, EPA coordinates the Federal response to an emergency if a nuclear accident occurs in a foreign country or if a domestic emergency involves unregulated material.
• Energy and the Environment. Provides objective information about Clean Energy technologies, policy options, create networks between the public and private sectors and provide technical assistance.
• AP 42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 3: Stationary Internal Combustion Sources. Includes information on emissions factors which are representative values that attempts to relate the quantity of a pollutant released to the atmosphere with an activity associated with the release of that pollutant. The full Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, Volume I: Stationary Point and Area Sources, also known as AP 42, is available for download.
  • Stationary Gas Turbines. Identifies the primary pollutants from gas turbine engines are nitrogen oxides (NO_X), carbon monoxide (CO), and to a lesser extent, volatile organic compounds (VOC). Particulate matter (PM) is also a primary pollutant for gas turbines using liquid fuels. Trace to low amounts of HAP and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) are emitted from gas turbines. Ash and metallic additives in the fuel may also contribute to PM in the exhaust. Oxides of sulfur (SO_X) will only appear in a significant quantity if heavy oils are fired in the turbine. Emissions of sulfur compounds, mainly SO₂, are directly related to the sulfur content of the fuel.
• How does electricity affect the environment? Identifies electricity generation as the dominant industrial source of air emissions in the United States today. Of the total energy consumed in America, about 39% is used to generate electricity.
• Ready to Respond: EPA's Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs. Assigns roles to several Federal agencies that contribute to an emergency response, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA's three major responsibilities in the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) flow from the Agency's overall mission: to protect human health and the environment. FRERP was approved in 1985 and revised in 1996.
• eGRID. Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database.

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)

• Bureau of Reclamation. Manages water and water related resources in the western United States in an economically and environmentally sound manner for the American people.
  • Projects and Facilities Database - Reclamation's Portal for Information on Dams, Powerplants and Projects. Provides the most current information on Reclamation's projects, facilities, and programs. On its power plant page, there is information available on installed capacity, initial year of operation, age, net generation, rated heat, plant factor and power plant performance is available for all major hydroelectric power plants as well as photo, contact information, plant history and authorization.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Provides affordable and reliable power, promotes sustainable economic development, and acts as a steward of the Valley's natural resources as its three-fold mission. The TVA is a federal corporation and the nation's largest public power company. It operates fossil-fuel, nuclear, and hydropower plants, and also produces energy from renewable sources. It manages the nation's fifth-largest river system to minimize flood risk, produce power, maintain navigation, provide recreational opportunities, and protect water quality in the 41,000-square-mile watershed.