By Anne Hedges
As record-breaking temperatures and atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) reach unprecedented levels (426.9 ppm at the time of this writing), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made a second attempt to regulate GHG emissions from fossil fuel-burning power plants. Fossil fuel power plants are the single largest industrial emitter of GHG, contributing 25% to annual emissions in the U.S. While the rule doesn’t go nearly far enough for methane-burning gas plants and will take too long to implement for coal plants, it is a critical step in the right direction. For new gas plants, GHG reduction requirements will vary based upon a plant’s annual operations. The more they operate, the more stringent the GHG reduction requirements. The largest plants will need to capture and sequester 90% of their CO2 emissions by 2032. For coal plants, any plant without a closure date before 2039 must also reduce its CO2 emissions by 90% by 2032. If a plant is committed to closing prior to 2032, it will have no CO2 emission reduction requirements. There are many more details in the rule, some ability for evasive behavior by states, and the expected legal challenges by the likes of Montana’s Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Despite all of this, MEIC will work to ensure this rule is implemented as quickly and honestly as possible.
This article was published in the July 2024 issue of Down To Earth.
