What are the new rules?
● Require all coal-fired power plants that plan to run in the long term, and all new natural-gas-fired plants, to control 90% of their carbon pollution.
● Strengthen and update mercury and toxic air standards for coal-fired power plants, tighten the emissions standard for toxic metals by 67%, and reduce emissions of mercury and other contaminants that are important for children and others who regularly consume fish with high levels of pollutants.
● Reduce pollutants discharged through wastewater from coal-fired power plants by more than 660 million pounds a year by setting wastewater discharge standards.
● Require the safe management of coal ash placed in areas previously unregulated at the federal level, including disposal sites.
The new rules are “a big deal,” Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, told USA TODAY. “They’re saying power companies are going to have to do a much better job of being a better neighbor.”
The nation has made major improvements in air quality and reducing emissions in recent decades by shutting down 382 coal-fired power plants, Jealous said. The newer standards are expected to move those efforts even further.
Questions raised
In a statement, Dan Brouillette, chief executive officer for the Edison Electric Institute, said its member companies are proud that carbon emissions from the nation’s power sector are “as low as they were nearly 50 years ago, while electricity use has more than doubled.”
“EPA’s suite of new regulations will affect the generation sources that will be used to reliably power America’s increasingly electricity-dependent economy, and we appreciate the agency’s efforts to align compliance deadlines to help companies make informed resource planning decisions that minimize customer costs,” Brouillette said.
America’s Power, a partnership of coal-power-related industries, slammed the rule dubbed the Clean Power Plan, which sets emissions limits. Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO, said it’s an “extreme and unlawful overreach that endangers America’s supply of dependable and affordable electricity.”
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., sent a letter to Regan this week questioning the EPA’s authority to regulate power plant emissions.
He cited a 2022 decision by the Supreme Court, which ruled against the agency in a case about its efforts to do so. That decision is “a red light flashing at EPA,” Garbarino wrote, because it said new standards should be determined by legislation rather than agency rule.
Bloodworth said the EPA’s Clean Power Plan is the “same kind of overreach” that led to the court’s 2022 decision.
“Already, utilities have announced plans to shut down more than 60,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation over the next five years,” she said. The new rule will accelerate those retirements, and Bloodworth said it represents a “clear and present danger to our electricity supply and our economy.”
The League of Conservation Voters, however, said the EPA is following the guidelines established by the court’s decision.
What’s the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions?
About 30% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions comes from the electricity sector, according to the EPA’s website. The largest share – 35% – comes from the transportation sector, which generates about 24% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA reports that burning coal produces more carbon dioxide than burning natural gas or oil.
Moving along efforts for energy transmission and ‘clean’ vehicles
The new rule for electrical transmission lines sets a binding two-year timeline for federal agencies to issue authorizations and permits, cutting in half the average time a developer spends to acquire permits, Granholm said. The measure also requires developers of transmission lines to develop public participation plans when they apply for permits, she said.
The EPA also announced the launch of a nearly $1 billion grant program, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, to replace heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. The grant program will support projects bringing electric school buses, garbage trucks and delivery vans to neighborhoods across America, said John Podesta, a senior adviser to Biden on international climate policy.
“These announcements are a huge step toward electrifying trucks and buses across the country, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by toxic tailpipe pollution, said Darien Davis, government affairs advocate for climate and clean energy for the League of Conservation Voters.
Estefany Carrasco-González, senior director of the Chispa League of Conservation, said the funding and tax credits for clean vehicles mean “there’s never been a better time to replace aging diesel buses with a clean ride for kids.”