Forcing the Bow plant to install scrubbers to reduce or eliminate mercury emission while forcing everyone to install exclusively the CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bubs is hypocritical. According to the EPA data, New Hampshire has a concentration of less than 1 microgram per square meter. Each CFL bulb has about 3 milligrams of mercury- 3000 times the level of mercury present in the air per square meter.
Government recommendation for tuna is 0.02 milligram. Each CFL contains fifteen times the edible tuna level.
Where will all the mercury in the billions of electric bulbs end up?
One of the tactics used by the wind and solar power lobbies is to reduce the emission levels from a coal -fired plants to such a ridiculous levels to make them uneconomical. The truth of the matter is the wind and solar power production is a losing proposition. It can not stand on its own with or without smart grid. It can never be viable to any significant extent because huge electric energy storage devices are needed but have not been invented yet. Wind doesn't blow all the time nor does the sun shine all the time.
Tags: Mercury, coal, fired, plants