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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/24/2025 - AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD - AGENDA - Regular meeting Air Quality Advisory Board Monday, February 24, 2025 5:30 – 8:00 PM (dinner for Board members and presenters served at 5:15 pm) 300 Laporte Ave | CIC Conference Room (first floor) Meeting link for hybrid access (requires internet access): fcgov.com/aqab-teams-meeting 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Platte River Power Authority Gas Turbine Project Presentation; 6:00-7:00 The board will receive a presentation from Matt Tribby, PRPA Sr. Air Quality Engineer, on the decision-making process related to the addition of the natural gas-fired aeroderivative turbine technology to address the needs of Platte River and the four owner communities to support the reliability in transitioning the energy portfolio to renewable technology. (Presentation & Discussion) b. Air Quality Education Collaboration Review; 7:00-7:30 Micah Warners, Education & Outreach Sr. Specialist for the Environmental Services Department, will return to review with the board potential collaboration opportunities for air quality education. (Presentation & Discussion) 8. OTHER BUSINESS ● Board Member Reports ● Six Month Calendar Review https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/planning-calendar.php ● Revisit action items from previous meetings & preview of next meeting City Websites with Updates: ● Air Quality Advisory Board webpage: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/air-quality-advisory ● Our Climate Future: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture 9. ADJOURN 1 1/27/2025 - Minutes Air Quality Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Monday, January 27, 2025 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room 1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:36 PM 2. ROLL CALL ● Board Members Present – • Dan Welsh (Chair) • Mark Houdashelt (Vice Chair) • Adam Schmidt • Michael Cheeseman • Jeremiah Gorske • Michael Johnson • Matt Ayres • Maria Moore ● Board Members Absent – • None ● Staff Members Present – • Selina Lujan de Albers, Staff Liaison • Micah Warners, Environmental Services Education & Outreach Senior Specialist ● Guest(s) – • None 3. AGENDA REVIEW No changes. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Chair Welsh discussed an email that was sent by Roxanne Griffin who is advocating for not using single-use plastic water bottles and is appealing to the Board to discontinue their use at Board meetings. He stated he does not believe the issue falls under the specific targeted goals of the Air Quality Advisory Board but stated he would respond to Griffin thanking her for her input. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – DECEMBER 2024 Members discussed changes to the minutes. Vice Chair Houdashelt made a motion, seconded by Schmidt, to approve the minutes of the December 2024 meeting as amended. The motion was adopted 2 1/27/2025 - Minutes unanimously. 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS Vice Chair Houdashelt commented on the recommendation sent to Council by the Board regarding the Building Performance Standards (BPS). He noted that Council discussed the topic and that the Chamber of Commerce was opposed to the program as it did not have a high enough return on investment. Vice Chair Houdashelt stated Council opted to do a pilot project involving three to five buildings due to concerns about impacts on building owners. The results of the pilot project will be discussed at a summer work session and a decision will be made about BPS prior to the seating of the new Council in January. Additionally, Council asked the BPS staff to develop a customer journey map, which is a document that describes exactly what building owners would need to do to achieve the program targets. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Air Quality Education Collaboration Presentation – Micah Warners, Education & Outreach Senior Specialist for the Environmental Services Department Lujan de Albers introduced Micah Warners, the new Education and Outreach Senior Specialist and briefly discussed his role with the City. Warners discussed his history in education and his new role with Environmental Services. He outlined his goals for this meeting: to share and learn about goals for air quality education in 2025, to begin exploring ideas for potential collaboration, and to gather feedback which will be used to consider future collaboration opportunities between the Board and the Environmental Services Department. Members discussed their goals for the meeting, including discussing opportunities to improve public responses to wildfire impacts; discussing how the CSU campus can help educate the public as well and be more involved in local government; discussing how the Board and its members can be a face of air quality issues; determining what the Board’s role is in terms of education; discussing staff’s plans to perform, supplement, and increase outreach and education opportunities, and how Board members can help to support and promote those opportunities; discussing successes and failures of previous outreach efforts, particularly with schools; sharing the 2025 AQAB Work Plan priorities; and determining areas of collaboration. Warners discussed the education and outreach goals of the Environmental Services Department, including increased community awareness, understanding, and pro-environmental behaviors in the areas of air quality, waste diversion, and climate action and resilience, and improving 3 1/27/2025 - Minutes understanding of the audiences to better connect with them educationally. Warners outlined the strategy focuses, including leveraging people and aligning the messaging. Warners summarized the seasonal air quality education topics, including radon, air quality index and ozone, wildfire smoke, and residential wood burning. He discussed past education and outreach tactics, including flyers, social media, websites, newsletters, advertisements, guidance documents, videos, and events. Chair Welsh commented on an exhibit showing artwork of an artist who utilizes environmental themes and noted the artist will be giving a lecture on February 27th. Members discussed their goals for community air quality education, including increasing awareness and changing behaviors related to electrification, gas stoves, and lawn and garden equipment, among others. In terms of tangible actions, members discussed items such as messaging targeted at specific audiences affected by a particular aspect of air quality; designing a school AQ monitoring curriculum; air quality installations in high traffic areas; events; a Coloradoan article on the CDPHE air quality tools; targeted social media advertising; utility bill advertising; and utilizing flags to indicate air quality. Members and staff discussed the ways in which the Board can work with the Environmental Services Department to support applicable events. Warners stated he would return to the Board after analyzing the information to discuss details around actual education and outreach events or tasks. Chair Welsh noted the first week of May is Air Quality Awareness Week and it was noted that February 14th is Winter Bike to Work Day. Members discussed the possibility of forming an education subcommittee to work with Warners. b. Agenda Planning and 2024 Annual Report Review Chair Welsh noted Vice Chair Houdashelt compiled the 2024 Annual Report listing meeting topics and speakers, and the Board reviewed the report. 8. OTHER BUSINESS Chair Welsh stated Poudre Fire Authority has been invited to provide information on the community wildfire protection plan as aspects of the plan relate to air quality and wildfire preparedness. Additionally, Matt Tribby, a former AQAB member and Senior Air Quality Engineer for PRPA, has offered to provide a presentation regarding PRPA’s decision-making process related to its new turbine project. It was noted that the project has yet to be permitted by Larimer County. Members discussed future meeting topics and Chair Welsh stated he would call Matt 4 1/27/2025 - Minutes Tribby to see if he could speak at the February meeting. Lujan de Albers noted Honore Depew, the NRAB liaison, gave a presentation on the Our Climate Future strategic refresh to his Board and noted the AQAB may also want to hear that presentation. Schmidt clarified the Board is no longer seeking to change City Code to allow for the Board to conduct education and outreach. Members concurred. a. Board Member Reports Vice Chair Houdashelt announced the Transportation Projects Fair at the Lincoln Center on March 6th. Additionally, he stated he is representing the Fort Collins Sustainability Group on a City advisory group for the development of zero carbon building codes to be implemented by 2030. Members discussed recent sweeping changes to various federal entities with the new administration. b. Six Month Calendar Review c. Revisit Action Items from Previous Meetings and Preview of Next Meeting 9. ADJOURNMENT ● 8:00 pm Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 1/XX/2025 1 Project description Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power generation and transmission utility that provides safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to the communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their distribution utility customers. Platte River's generation portfolio includes coal, wind, hydropower, solar and natural gas resources. Platte River owns and operates Rawhide Energy Station (Rawhide), located roughly 10 miles north of Wellington, Colorado. Rawhide consists of one 280-megawatt (MW) capacity coal-fired boiler (Unit 1), five natural gas-fired combustion turbines (CTs) with a combined 393 MW capacity (Units A, B, C, D and F) that support peak power demand. Rawhide also has 52 MW of solar and a 2 MW-hour battery storage system onsite. Unit 1, along with coal and ash handling systems, operates under Title V permit 96OPLR142; the CTs operate under Title V permit 03OPLR261. In 2018, Platte River's board of directors approved the Resource Diversification Policy (RDP), which directs Platte River to proactively work toward a 100% noncarbon energy mix by 2030 while maintaining Platte River’s three foundational pillars of providing reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable electricity and services. A significant milestone on the journey to 100% noncarbon is to retire Unit 1 by the end of 2029. Platte River completed its 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to ensure an adequate supply of reliable, financially sustainable and environmentally responsible electricity. Platte River must maintain system reliability while continuing to build and expand its renewable portfolio. To account for the loss of 280 MW of electric generation with the closure of Unit 1, Platte River modeled different generation portfolios with support from independent advisors and subject-matter experts. The models show that Platte River will need a workable solution to maintain reliability and keep costs reasonable for our owner communities as we progress toward the goals of the RDP. Our evaluation further shows that adding natural gas-fired aeroderivative turbine technology addresses the needs of Platte River and the four owner communities and will help us protect reliability as we transition our energy portfolio to renewable technology. Specifically, Platte River determined that General Electric (GE) LM6000 aeroderivative turbine technology best meets the needs of the owner communities while upholding the mission of safely providing reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy. Platte River determined it will need up to 240 MW of dispatchable capacity, equal to six LM6000 units with a generating capacity of roughly 40 MW per 2 unit (the Project). The proposed new LM6000 combustion turbine generator units (New Generation CTs) will not only serve as an interim solution as storage technology improves but can transition to include hydrogen (a noncarbon fuel) in the future. Adding the New Generation CTs, retiring Unit 1 and netting emissions from the Regional Haze program will allow the Project to be permitted as a minor modification under Clean Air Act (CAA) new source review (NSR) requirements. Rawhide Energy Station generation transition project About Platte River Power Authority Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility that generates and delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their utility customers. At a glance Headquarters Fort Collins, Colorado General manager/CEO Jason Frisbie 2025 projected deliveries of energy to owner communities 3,287,172 MWh (~42% renewable) Employees ~323 Peak demand 707 MW on July 28, 2021 2025 projected deliveries of energy 4,390,027 MWh Began operations 1973 Transmission system Equipment in 27 substations, 806 miles of transmission lines owned Rawhide Energy Station •Located nine miles north of Wellington, Colorado •Serves as Platte River’s primary energy generation facility •Acts as a central hub for Platte River’s high-voltage transmission network, enhancing regional energy delivery capabilities 280 MW coal-fired unit 393 MW frame natural gas combustion turbines 52 MW installed solar 2 MWh Tesla battery storage 225 MW of wind interconnected at the substation Resource Diversification Policy Purpose To provide guidance for resource planning, portfolio diversification and carbon reduction Goal To support owner community clean energy goals, we will proactively work toward a 100% noncarbon resource mix by 2030 while maintaining our foundational pillars of providing reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services Passed by Platte River’s Board of Directors in 2018 \ •Transmission and distribution infrastructure investment must be increased •Transmission and distribution delivery systems must be more fully integrated •Improved distributed generation resource performance •Technology and capabilities of grid management systems must advance and improve •Advanced capabilities and use of active end user management systems •Generation, transmission and distribution rate structures must facilitate systems integration •Battery storage performance must mature and the costs must decline •Utilization of storage solutions to include thermal, heat, water and end user available storage •An organized regional market must exist with Platte River as an active participant Accomplished In progress Awaiting technology What is an integrated resource plan (IRP)? •A planning process that integrates customer demand and resources (distributed energy resources) with utility resources to provide reliable, economical and environmentally responsible electricity to customers in the coming years •Developed over 18-24 months with public engagement and help from external consultants •Projects energy needs for the next 10-20 years and includes an action plan •Repeated every three to five years to assist with industry changes including: •Technological progress •Consumer preferences •Regulatory mandates •The Western Area Power Administration requires Platte River to file an IRP every five years •Platte River is expediting our IRPs to carry out the Resource Diversification Policy •We filed the 2020 and 2024 IRPs one year early and will likely file the next IRP in 2028 2024 IRP process and community engagement Timeline Community engagement Awareness and inclusivity •Began in 2022 with pre- IRP studies and support from external consultants •Concluded with Platte River Board of Directors’ approval in July 2024 •Nearly 40 presentations across Larimer and Boulder County, including two at the state level •Reached hundreds of people, presenting to councils, energy boards, customer accounts and environmental and neighborhood groups •Many constituents unaware of Platte River's role as their community- owned wholesale power provider •Engagement meetings provided in-person and virtual options with Spanish translation and listening assistance Grid needs: energy,capacity and flexibility Reliable grid operation requires energy, capacity and flexibility. The IRP must plan for all three attributes While wind and solar are excellent sources of energy, they are not able to provide capacity and flexibility These two vital attributes must be procured from other sources for grid stability Resource type Energy Power/capacity Flexibility Feasibility for Platte River Nuclear √√Limited Coal √√√ Gas √√√√ Hydro with storage √√√ Wind √√ Solar √√ Storage √√Limited √ Geothermal √√Limited VPP √√Limited √ Energy – Doing the work; pushes electrons through wires to do work Power/capacity – Instantaneous energy; energy at a fixed predictable rate or energy on demand Flexibility – Ability to change the power output on demand Proposed new generation project Project overview •Five simple-cycle natural gas-fired aeroderivative turbines and associated support infrastructure •At least 200 MW of dispatchable capacity to support ~760 megawatts of additional renewable energy •General Electric LM6000 turbine technology chosen for efficiency and flexibility, future- ready for potential hydrogen fuel blending •Upgraded substation and infrastructure to improve reliability and facilitate larger renewable energy integrations effectively Project’s estimated emissions reductions Addition of new aeroderivative turbines will support the transition with Unit 1’s retirement and deliver significant emissions reductions at Rawhide Energy Station. Estimated net emission reductions: •>80% carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) •~90% nitrogen oxides (NOx) •~99% sulfur dioxide (SO2) •~40% carbon monoxide (CO) •~80% particulate matter (PM) •~15% volatile organic compounds (VOC) Benefits of aeroderivative turbines Turbine flexibility Grid reliability enhancer Supports noncarbon future Designed to start and stop quickly, as well as rapidly increase and decrease output levels, enhancing responsiveness to grid demands Counterbalances fluctuations in renewable generation, maintaining steady energy supply Potential transition of natural gas turbines to hydrogen fuel, promoting low-carbon energy solutions Project Location Proposed Facilities Aeroderivative turbine project example Existing gas turbine units (peaking)Example of aeroderivative turbine units General Electric Model LM6000 Houston, Texas Operator: PROENERGY General Electric Model 7EA and 7FA Larimer County Operator: Platte River Power Authority Project location Project outcome •Supports ongoing expansion of wind and solar capacity, maintaining Platte River’s commitment to pursue a noncarbon energy future for Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland •Helps meet the state’s goal to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 2005 levels) by 2030 •Supports Platte River’s foundational pillars to provide reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services •Mitigates costs and manages construction timelines by use of existing infrastructure at Platte River's Rawhide facility Air construction permit •Submitted application to Colorado Department of Health and Environment in June 2024 •Required complex air quality modeling to prove no harmful impacts to ambient air •October 2024: Air Pollution Control Division modeling group approved the project modeling and allowed the project to progress to the permitting phase •Meteorological data from station at Rawhide facility used for modeling •Project allowed to be a “minor” modification because of emission reductions from Unit 1 retirement •Public comment period before final permit issued Questions Significant Impact Level (SIL) modeling analysis NAAQS modeling analysis before Unit 1 retires NAAQS modeling analysis after Unit 1 retires AQAB – ESD Educational Collaboration Survey Results from AQAB meeting (1/27/24) • Full survey results here (skip pg. 3) Micah’s summary below General: • Overall: Potential co-benefits and interest in educational partnership between AQAB and ESD • Goals: AQAB goals center around increased community awareness around a variety of topics through outreach and engagement, connecting community members with helpful resources • What this looks like tangibly? Lots of ideas on this question. Some ideas that felt like they were rising to the top included Utility bill inserts, engagement with schools, and involvement with local events. • Involvement: AQAB members have interest in both strategy (6/7 respondents) and implementation (6/7 respondents) Strategy: • A variety of interest in strategy. This included evaluation of educational campaigns, helping to target specific audiences, discussing channels to most effectively reach audience(s), identifying ways to measure effectiveness, developing of outreach materials (I’d classify as more implementation?), identifying funding, partnership with CDPHE, more Implementation • A variety of interest in avenues for implementation. This includes tabling, helping design outreach materials and being an expert resource for Micah. Other ideas include writing articles, making social media posts, cardboard signs, fundraisers, supporting flag programs, school programming, bill inserts, video creation, clock tower, air quality installations, CSU stadium announcement, social media ads, Coloradoan articles on CDPHE tools, presentations/demonstrations, local radio, and more. • A variety of topics have come up as well in this question and others. This includes electrification (lawn equipment rebates, induction cooktops), anti-idling, PurpleAir maps, AQI, general AQ, Proposal 1. Strategy Sub-committee o Purpose/Activity: Choose one of the upcoming air quality campaign topics (e.g., general AQ, AQI) to review and give input on, which may include discussions on…  Target audiences  Tactics and messaging channels  Measuring effectiveness of campaign o Logistics:  Max of two people on sub-committee, may make decisions with Micah or bring back questions to full board  Meet with Micah every 6 months (two different people? Same?)  Begin in April 2. Deployment and Implementation! o Micah reaches out to the board as opportunities arise (aim for quarterly?) to request support, which may include the following:  Participation in outreach events (e.g., EcoFest in May)  Review of outreach material (e.g., flyers, handouts)  Expert consultation (e.g., understanding concepts)