Tuesday, March 27, 2012

EPA's new greenhouse-gas limits could stop construction of coal-fired power plants

In a move that could end construction of new coal-fired power plants, the Environmental Protection Agency will issue its first proposal for limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants as early as today, reports Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post. The proposed rule will require new plants to emit less than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt of electricity produced. The average coal plant emits 1,768 pounds of CO2 per megawatt, but the average natural-gas power plant emits 800 to 850 pounds per megawatt.

The rule provides an exemption for coal plants already permitted and beginning construction within a year. There are about 20 coal plants currently pursuing permits, two of which are federally subsidized;one is expected to meet the new standard, Eilperin reports. The proposed rule does not cover existing plants, but utility companies have said they will close more than 300 boilers, which produce nearly 13 percent of coal-fired electricity, instead of making expensive pollution-control upgrades. The low cost of natural gas is contributing to the closure of old coal-fired plants because many utilities are switching to gas plants.

Coal advocates say the rule will "drive affordable coal out of the electricity market," but environmentalists say it "captures the end of an era during which coal provided most of the nation's electricity," Eilperin writes. The public will be allowed to comment on the proposed rule for a month before it's finalized, but its supporters are confident it will be made law before the end of President Obama's current term. (Read more) For a later report from Neela Banerjee of the Los Angeles Times, go here.

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