California enacted similar limits to pollution from power plants in 2006
The US Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, begin restricting greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. The EPA’s new standard limits how many pounds of carbon can be emitted per megawatt-hour of electricity generated. It doesn’t apply to existing power plants or to new plants that have already been permitted, and natural gas-powered plants should be able to meet the standard without changes. But coal-powered plants will no longer make the cut without adding carbon capture and sequestration technology.
This won’t have much of an effect on California’s energy industry, Dave Clegern from the California Air Resources Board told me, though he’s not complaining. “It’s always good to see a national standard, and we’re glad the EPA is doing it.”
Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a similar standard for power plants in California back in 2006. The state gets very little electricity from coal-powered plants, and the coal-fired power California residents do use comes from outside of California.
“The EPA kind of levels the playing field for us,” Clegern said. “Now everyone will be operating with a standard that’s pretty close to ours.”
Read more:
- Washington Post: EPA imposes first greenhouse gas limits on power plants
- Politico: EPA unveils greenhouse gas standard for new power plants
- Associated Press (via NPR): Administration To Propose New Power Plant Rules
- Grist: The top five things you need to know about EPA’s new carbon rule
