Oops.
The Electric Power Research Institute, which is funded by utility companies, is investigating reports of "aggressive" corrosion in scrubbers across the nation.
"Our findings, so far, show it's fairly widespread through the industry," said John Shingledecker, senior project manager in the research institute's fossil materials and repair program.
Without a fix, corrosion threatens plant shutdowns and costly repairs, both of which could affect Ohioans' power bills.
Scrubbers are key weapons in the fight to reduce pollution at coal-fired power plants.
They were installed to help meet a federal mandate that coal-fired power plants cut 71percent of their sulfur-dioxide emissions by 2014.
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There are about 360 operating scrubbers at U.S. power plants. They are used mainly to catch sulfur dioxide, a key ingredient in the smog and soot pollution that plagues U.S. cities, including Columbus.
via www.dispatch.com