EPA to ditch GHG emission limits on power plants
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) June 11 said it is removing restrictions on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants, paving the way for greater use of fossil fuels, particularly natural gas and coal.
EPA said it will repeal the 2015 Obama-era emissions standards for new fossil fuel-fired power plants and the Biden administration’s 2024 rule for new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants.
“…[T]he primary purpose of these…regulations were to destroy industries that didn't align with their narrow-minded climate change zealotry,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement, adding that the two rules were “designed to regulate coal, oil and natural gas out of existence.”
EPA said it would open comments on new “efficiency-based requirements” for new natural gas power plants as an alternative to the existing power-plant rule that increased the use of renewables in the power sector.
Power plant emissions are the US’ second-largest source of GHG emissions, behind transportation, and the US trails only China in global climate emissions.
Unlike the previous administrations, the Trump EPA argues that fossil-fuel-fired power plants do not significantly contribute to worldwide GHG emissions and should be free from emissions limits required the Clean Air Act. Power plants are responsible for nearly a quarter of US GHG emissions, and about 2.7% of global climate pollution, according to the EPA.
Environmental groups and Democratic states are vowing to sue and contest the rationale for the new rule, which the Trump administration expects to finalize next year. If it survives legal challenges, the rule could allow the EPA to roll back climate emission regulations on refineries and industrial plants.
“Affordable, reliable electricity is key to the American dream and a natural byproduct of national energy dominance,” Zeldin said.
Revoking the power plant rules would save the electric power sector about $1.2 billion annually in regulatory costs, the agency estimated.
Cathy Landry | Washington Correspondent
Cathy Landry has worked over 20 years as a journalist, including 17 years as an energy reporter with Platts News Service (now S&P Global) in Washington and London.
She has served as a wire-service reporter, general news and sports reporter for local newspapers and a feature writer for association and company publications.
Cathy has deep public policy experience, having worked 15 years in Washington energy circles.
She earned a master’s degree in government from The Johns Hopkins University and studied newspaper journalism and psychology at Syracuse University.
