Overview

Assistance to Air Pollution Control Agencies

Regulatory and Strategic Analysis

Public Health Analysis

Energy Facility Licensing

Permitting Support

Compliance Support

Litigation Support

Vehicle & Engine Certification Assistance

Greenhouse Gas Assistance

  - Mobile Source Emissions

  - Stationary Source Emissions

Emission Testing Facilities

I/M Support Services

Modeling Capabilities & Data Analysis

Questions regarding Power Plant Licensing?

Sierra has provided invaluable assistance to energy project developers throughout the western United States. Sierra's experience covers over 19,000 megawatts of electric power generating capacity using a wide range of fuels and combustion systems. Sierra's experience includes projects fueled with natural gas, digester gas, landfill gas, gasified coal and sewage sludge, distillate oil, residual fuel oil, coal, petroleum coke, wood waste, municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, and a variety of biomass fuels. Combustion sources include gas turbines, liquid and gaseous fueled reciprocating engines, and conventional and fluidized bed boilers.

Services provided by Sierra to energy project developers include the following:

• Project Feasibility Studies – These analyses assist project developers in making timely decisions regarding site and equipment feasibility. Likely control equipment and mitigation requirements, stack height constraints, and other issues are identified early, before the formal permitting process is begun. If meteorological and/or air quality data collection efforts are required, these needs will be identified before they affect the overall project permitting schedule.

• Data Collection & Analysis – For those projects that trigger meteorological and/or air quality data collection programs, Sierra will develop the data collection protocols, obtain agency approval, assist in vendor selection, oversee the data collection effort, and check and analyze the data prior to its use.

• Application Preparation – Whether the permitting process includes a state energy facility licensing board, state or local air pollution control agencies, or U.S. EPA's regional offices, Sierra provides a comprehensive application package designed to meet all of the requirements of the reviewing agencies. Application packages include all required elements, such as control technology assessments, emissions assessments, dispersion modeling analyses, screening-level health risk assessments, visibility impact analyses, and emission offset and mitigation analyses.

• Timely Support In Responding To Agency Requests – Many project permitting delays are attributable to the process of responding to agency requests for information. Delays in responding to those requests can result in an application being assigned a lower priority by the reviewing agency, leading to further delays. Sierra treats all agency requests for information as priority activities, to ensure that these activities do not impact the critical path for project permitting.

• Expert Witness Services – Most energy facility permitting proceedings are technically complicated, emotionally charged affairs with extensive public participation. Sierra's energy facility siting team includes individuals with well-developed skills for participating in these kinds of forums. Sierra's principals have extensive experience with presentations and as expert witnesses before technical and lay audiences, including the U.S. Congress, California Legislature, California Air Resources Board, California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, numerous local air pollution control agencies and general purpose governing bodies, and staffs at EPA Region IX and Region X offices.

• Permit Negotiations – No matter how detailed a permit application package may be, many critical decisions regarding the final project configuration can become embroiled in the final negotiations regarding conditions of project approval. This can be particularly difficult when there are multiple, parallel reviews being undertaken by different regulatory agencies. By maintaining excellent working relationships with each regulatory agency, Sierra can assist in managing these negotiations to achieve a package of permit conditions acceptable to the developer.

• Construction Assistance & Specification Review – Once project permitting and financing have been successfully accomplished, Sierra provides assistance by reviewing technical specifications for key emissions-related equipment, such as emission control equipment and monitoring systems. Sierra also prepares a regulatory compliance schedule incorporating the many deadlines contained in final licensing documents. Finally, Sierra is available to answer questions from equipment vendors and members of the construction team, to ensure that compliance problems are avoided before they arise.

• Startup Assistance – Startup issues related to air quality are often viewed as a nuisance during the hectic time when a power project first commences operations. Sierra can minimize that nuisance by preparing and submitting all required agency notifications, working with control and monitoring equipment vendors during their shakedown periods, and providing guidance based on our experience with similar projects in the same regulatory jurisdictions.