UPDATE: ECMPS 2.0 Start Date Postponed
On November 15, 2023, the EPA’s Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) hosted a webinar to discuss transitioning from ECMPS 1.0 (i.e., the ECMPS Client Tool) to the new web-based ECMPS 2.0 reporting platform. During the webinar, CAMD announced that ECMPS 2.0 would not be used to report quarterly QA and emissions files as initially scheduled for Q1 2024. Additionally, CAMD did not specify a new start date for ECMPS 2.0. The agency does not want to postpone the ECMPS 2.0 implementation date more than once, so they intend to conduct a thorough assessment of the status of the software platform before setting a new realistic start date. CAMD indicated that they hope to complete this assessment before the end of 2023. The webinar was recorded, and a copy will be posted to the ECMPS Re-engineering Effort website at https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/ecmps-re-engineering-effort
The ECMPS Client Tool will continue to be used to submit quarterly reports until the ECMPS 2.0 launch date. CAMD is revising the monitoring plan and emissions XML schemas to address the Good Neighbor Plan (GNP) daily NOx backstop requirements. They hope to post the new schemas and XML reporting instructions before the end of the year. The GNP-related modifications require an update to the ECMPS Client tool, which should be available sometime after the New Year.
On the MATS Rule (Subpart UUUUU to 40 CFR Part 63) front, the postponement of the ECMPS 2.0 launch date does not, in turn, postpone the MATS electronic reporting requirements that become effective January 1, 2024. In accordance with Appendix E to the MATS Rule, there are data elements that must be submitted in three distinct formats (1) JSON, (2) XML and (3) PDF. At this juncture, CAMD was not entirely sure what the submittal of these files would look like. CAMD suggested that they may build a JSON and XML submit feature similar to the existing MATS PDF Submit feature in the current Client Tool. Sources operating PM CEMS or PM CPMS are required to begin reporting hourly emissions data as well as daily calibration error test results beginning January 1, 2024. Again, it was unclear at this stage as to how this data would be submitted. CAMD does not intend to revise the Client Tool to address any electronic reporting of MATS-related data other than attaching the required JSON/XML/PDF data mentioned previously.
Finally, for MATS-affected sources, CAMD anticipated that there would likely be requirements to resubmit certain files (e.g., 30-day rolling averages, JSON QA records, PM CEMS hourly data) once ECMPS 2.0 is formally launched in order to build a historical record within the host database (i.e., Clean Air Markets Program Data (CAMPD)).
After the Thanksgiving holiday, CAMD planned to schedule another webinar to review the functionality of the current ECMPS 2.0 Beta version. VIM will stay abreast of the ECMPS 2.0 developments and update this blog as relevant information becomes available from EPA. Please contact our COMPAS group at compas@vimtechnologies.com for more information concerning the ECMPS 2.0 implementation.
