According to reports, the Biden administration will soon unveil an initiative that would demand fossil fuel-powered plants implement costly carbon capture equipment or substantially reduce emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to soon release a proposal mandating coal and natural gas-fired power plants reduce or capture the majority of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2040.
This will be the initial federal law to reduce emissions from power plants.
The EPA’s spokesperson, Maria Michalos, declined to comment on the proposals, but said the agency would utilize all of its resources to protect the next generation’s air quality.
The Biden Administration is planning to roll out aggressive new rules to regulate power plant pollution, sources say https://t.co/Wradv2LMn4
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 21, 2023
Timeline
By the spring of 2023, the EPA expects to issue a proposed rule for inhibiting greenhouse gas emissions from present fossil fuel-fired plants. The agency intends to issue a final rule by the summer of 2024.
There are 3,393 fossil fuel-fired power plants in the United States, which generate over sixty percent of the nation’s electricity.
According to EPA data, the electric power sector accounts for approximately 25% of the nation’s total emission levels, most of which comes from natural gas plants.
President Biden pledged to assist the nation in achieving a 52% reduction in total emissions by 2030 and a carbon-free power sector by 2035.
Environmental groups and Democratic legislators have argued it is necessary to reduce emission levels from fossil fuel power plants to combat climate change. Nevertheless, the energy sector opposes the regulation, citing the continued reliance of the power grid on coal, natural gas, and petroleum.
So Biden wants to shut down , by highly regulating our energy plants; what part of the Constitution gives him or Congress the right to regulate atmosphere(Artical1 Sec. 8) CAA, or create EPA , it doesn't; we will get blackouts, thanks Dems, USA is Biden's sh!t show 👇🤬 pic.twitter.com/LTDyDopjzq
— ChelseaNicole❤🇺🇲 (@ChelseaEbbNFlow) April 23, 2023
Potential Impacts
Michelle Bloodworth, president and chief executive officer of America’s Power, a coal power trade organization, stated the anticipated EPA oversight is part of President Biden’s anti-fossil fuels plans.
She contends that retiring electricity sources would damage the grid transition, resulting in power shortages.
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court determined an Obama-era Clean Air Act rule restricting power plant emissions was unlawful. A few weeks later, however, the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, allowing the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmentalists urge the EPA to finalize regulations as quickly as possible, as time is of the essence. They argue carrying out these regulations would allow electricity producers to begin reducing emissions and protecting the environment immediately.
This article appeared in The Political Globe and has been published here with permission.
