The effectiveness of the air pollution abatement program for a given electric
utility is a function of many factors, most of which are under the control of
management. Therefore, in comparing, contrasting and ranking electric
utility companies on their performance in abating air pollution, it is impor-
tant to note that the quality of their management is a key determinant in
pollution performance. In this chapter, pollution performance of the com-
panies based on the aggregation of the pollution emissions from the plants
for each pollutant for 1975 and 1987 is compared. A comparison will be
made for all 15 companies for the years 1975 and 1987 and also for the
change between 1975 and 1987 for each pollutant. Furthermore, the com-
panies will also be compared by fuel type and pollutant.

Although the two key laws that regulated air pollution emissions for the
electric utilities were federal laws (the Clean Air Acts of 1970 and 1977), it
was left for the states to decide how to implement them. ¹ As would be ex-
pected, the states implemented the standards in different ways, which re-
sulted in industrial polluters having different regulations for emissions based
on their location. Therefore, in comparing companies from different regions
of the United States, the reader should be aware that these companies were
facing different regulatory constraints depending on their location. Conse-
quently, it is possible that the plants were all performing in compliance with
the state enforcement of the environmental laws and yet polluting to varying
degrees.

Management does have the prerogative to decide on whether to simply

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