Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978, United States
Published: September 3, 2006, 1:54 pm
Updated: September 3, 2006, 1:54 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Cutler J. Cleveland
Coal-fired power plant at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA. Photo: University of Northern Iowa
In response to the 1973 oil crisis and natural gas curtailments of the mid-1970s, U.S. Congress restricted construction of power plants using oil or natural gas as a primary fuel and encouraged the use of coal, nuclear energy, and other alternative fuels. The Act also restricted the industrial use of oil and natural gas in large boilers. In the early 1980s, the demand for natural gas declined significantly, spurring subsequent price declines.
Enactment of the Natural Gas Utilization Act in 1987 repealed sections of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act that restricted the use of natural gas by industrial users and electric utilities. As a result of the repeal, large new baseload electric power plants were allowed to use natural gas as fuel, and gas and oil-burning industrial boilers, turbines, and engines were also accepted. Provisions were continued to allow the use of natural gas in industrial cogenerators, if certain operating conditions were met. Restrictions did not pertain to facilities constructed after 1987. Because of the repeal, total natural gas consumption for electric generation and industrial processing increased by approximately 47% between 1988 and 2002.
Further Reading
Repeal of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act (1987): Description and Impact (U.S. Energy Information Information)
A Bill to Amend the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (The Library of Congress)
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Citation
Ida Kubiszewski PhD (Lead Author);Cutler J. Cleveland (Topic Editor) "Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978, United States". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 3, 2006; Last revised Date September 3, 2006; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Powerplant_and_Industrial_Fuel_Use_Act_of_1978,_United_States>
The Author
Stewardship Committee
The Encyclopedia of Earth
Dr. Ida Kubiszewski is a Senior Lecturer at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University. She is also a co-founder and former-Managing Editor the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Kubiszewki is currently working as the Managing Editor for a magazine/journal hybrid called Solutions. Solutions is an outlet for discussions focusing on solutions to the complex problems we are now facing in ... (Full Bio)
Coal-fired power plant at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA. Photo: University of Northern Iowa
In response to the 1973 oil crisis and natural gas curtailments of the mid-1970s, U.S. Congress restricted construction of power plants using oil or natural gas as a primary fuel and encouraged the use of coal, nuclear energy, and other alternative fuels. The Act also restricted the industrial use of oil and natural gas in large boilers. In the early 1980s, the demand for natural gas declined significantly, spurring subsequent price declines.
Enactment of the Natural Gas Utilization Act in 1987 repealed sections of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act that restricted the use of natural gas by industrial users and electric utilities. As a result of the repeal, large new baseload electric power plants were allowed to use natural gas as fuel, and gas and oil-burning industrial boilers, turbines, and engines were also accepted. Provisions were continued to allow the use of natural gas in industrial cogenerators, if certain operating conditions were met. Restrictions did not pertain to facilities constructed after 1987. Because of the repeal, total natural gas consumption for electric generation and industrial processing increased by approximately 47% between 1988 and 2002.
Further Reading
Repeal of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act (1987): Description and Impact (U.S. Energy Information Information)
A Bill to Amend the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (The Library of Congress)
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