Environmentally related work at EPRI

The electric utility industry is pooling its financial resources for development of technology options that will produce reliable, cost-effective electric power point delivered to the public in environmentally acceptable ways. The utility industry is conducting its cooperative research through the Electric Power Research Institute, which is supported by investor- and municipally owned utilities, public districts, Rural Electrification Administration cooperatives, and the government-owned Tennessee Valley Authority. Nearly one-half of EPRI's budget is devoted to work in environmental safety and health matters. Research on coal gasification, underground transmission, and cooling towers are discussed. The Energy Systems, Environment, and Conservation Division at EPRI is concerned primarily with the environmental impact of the production and use of electricity, taking into account the interrelationships among all energy industries. The environmental assessment program is presently studying the effects of high-intensity electric fields (fields or areas surrounding high-voltage electric power lines) on humans and ecosystems. EPRI is studying trace elements in urban aerosols to determine the nature of the particles and their sources, along with the effluents from coal-fired and nuclear power plants. (MCW)