article thumbnail

Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023 

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 2021 alone, the plants slated for retirement emitted more than 28,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), 32,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), according to EIA data. NO x also contributes to the formation of ozone (or “smog”), another toxic pollutant.

article thumbnail

Unraveling LA’s Hydrogen Combustion Experiment

Legal Planet

This means that, as we transition to carbon-free energy, we still need firm power, and geothermal, nuclear, and hydroelectric are either difficult to scale, expensive, or politically inexpedient. It is also a precursor to other pollutants, including ozone (a key component of smog).