Hennepin County Energy Center - Air Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft air quality permit for Hennepin County Energy Center.

Hennepin County Energy Center in Minneapolis is a natural gas-fired boiler plant that provides steam and chilled water to customers located in the downtown Minneapolis area. The facility’s main processes are five boilers and an emergency generator. The primary air pollutants are the products of natural gas combustion.

The draft permit reissues the facility’s air quality permit and does not authorize any construction or new emissions. The draft air permit limits emissions of nitrogen oxides and requires performance testing, monitoring, and recordkeeping for nitrogen oxides emissions, opacity, fuel type, fuel quantity, and public preclusion.

An air quality operating permit is required for certain existing facilities or the construction of new facilities that have the potential to emit a significant level of any regulated pollutant. The permit includes all requirements for operation and procedures, applicable rules, emission standards, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. If additional conditions change and modifications are necessary, the MPCA may review and amend the permit.