DOE will offer technical assistance to sites that currently burn coal or oil and are affected by the newly enacted Boiler MACT rules.

In December 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a specific set of adjustments to Clean Air Act standards for boilers and certain solid waste incinerators. The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters — known as Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) — sets standards to cut emissions of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury, dioxin and lead from large boilers in industrial facilities and institutions.

DOE will provide site-specific technical and cost information to the major source facilities currently burning coal or oil through its regional Clean Energy Application Centers (CEACs). As a part of its assistance for affected facilities, DOE will highlight strategies such as natural gas combined heat and power (CHP) and more efficient boilers to cut pollution and reduce operational costs.

In addition, the CEACs will visit affected facilities to discuss strategies for compliance, including CHP, as well as provide information on potential funding and financing opportunities available for CHP, controls, boilers and energy-efficiency assessments. Facilities that make use of this technical assistance can potentially develop strategies to comply with the regulations while adding to their bottom line. DOE has been conducting a pilot of the technical assistance program in Ohio since March 2012 in partnership with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.