A U.S. Power Company Promises Sharp Cuts In Greenhouse Gases

Exelon Corporation, one of the country’s largest energy companies, has vowed to make major cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 by boosting the output of its existing nuclear reactors, improving energy efficiency in the homes and offices of its 6 million customers, and replacing coal plants with cleaner natural gas generating stations. The company said it plans to slash its carbon dioxide output by 2020 by an amount larger than its total greenhouse gas emissions in 2008, a reduction equivalent to removing nearly 3 million cars from the roads. By taking these steps, the company is anticipating the passage of legislation under the next U.S. administration that will cap carbon emissions and set up a mechanism for trading them. Exelon, the largest operator of nuclear plants in the U.S., distributes electricity to 5.4 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area.