IPM Analysis of the Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)
On December 16, 2011, EPA signed a Notice of Final Rulemaking for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) (pdf) (211 pp, 1.4 KB). EPA analyzed the impact of MATS on the U.S. electric power sector using version 4.10_MATS of the Integrated Planning Model (IPM). From this page you can download documentation for IPM v4.10_MATS, the "NEEDS" database of electric generation unit records used in the modeling, and the IPM run results files.
IPM Analysis of the proposed Toxics Rule on the U.S. electric power sector.
Documentation: Updates to EPA Base Case v4.10_MATS
EPA Base Case v4.10_MATS is the IPM version that EPA used to analyze the Final MATS. To learn more about the v4.10_MATS assumptions, visit the following link. EPA Base Case v4.10_MATS builds on the last major update to the IPM model, EPA Base Case v4.10, as well as two subsequent updates: Updates to EPA Base Case v410_PTox and Updates to EPA Base Case v4.10_FTransport.
Please note that the documentation for v4.10_MATS (presenting new modeling capabilities and updated input assumptions) supplements the more comprehensive documentation of EPA's IPM Base Case v4.10 and the two updates to that document noted above.
- Documentation Supplement for EPA Base Case v4.10_MATS- Updates for Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule (pdf)
- Chapter 5 Appendices– Revisions to Cost and Performance for Air Pollution Control Technologies
- Documentation of modeling features that were not changed can be found in EPA's IPM Base Case v.4.10
National Electric Energy Data System (NEEDS) v4.10_MATS
The National Electric Energy Data System or "NEEDS" database contains the generation unit records used to construct the "model" plants that represent existing and planned/committed units in EPA modeling applications of IPM. NEEDS includes basic geographic, operating, air emissions, and other data on these generating units. The following link provides access to the updated version of NEEDS used in modeling the proposed Toxics Rule.
IPM Results: IPM Run Files
Download IPM run files for the MATS analysis using the links in the following table. Click on the IPM run name in the first column of the following table to download a file. The files are posted in one of two formats, a zipped archive or an excel spreadsheet, and contain the following:
- Detailed IPM input and output files (i.e., .DAT, System Summary Report, .RPE, .CAR, and TAC files) for the listed runs. (Guide to content of IPM input and output files)
| IPM Run Name | IPM Run Description |
|---|---|
| MATS_Base_Case (zip) | Base case model run, including the national Title IV SO2 cap and trade program; NOX State Implementation Plan (SIP) Call regional ozone season cap and trade program; Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) as finalized in July 2011; and settlements and state rules through December 2010 impacting SO2, NOX, directly emitted PM, and CO2. This run represents conditions without MATS. |
| MATS_Policy_Case (zip) | This run models the MATS described in the preamble. |