Fuel switching to gas in summer would reduce plant emissions of SO2

In order to achieve a massive reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions required by the US government, large existing coal-fired facilities and high-sulfur oil-fired facilities would have to alter significantly their fuel combustion practices. This article examines a new facet of the select use of natural gas as a means to reducing SO2 and other air polluting emissions. The proposed control technique involves the substitution of natural gas for higher sulfur fuels on a seasonal basis. The analysis concludes that controlling SO2 emissions at specific periods of the year may be more effective than year-round controls, after findings have indicated that 70 percent of annual acid rain falls from May through October and 54 percent falls from June through September, suggesting the summer months would be the best time to switch to gas.