Obama leaning toward delay, possible change in greenhouse-gas rules for new power plants

The Obama administration is leaning toward revising its landmark proposal to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants, according to several individuals briefed on the matter, a move that would significantly delay tougher restrictions, anger many environmentalists and please the coal industry.

Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post reports that rewriting the proposal could allow the Environmental Protection Agency to set a separate standard for coal-fired power plants, which are roughly twice as polluting as those fueled by natural gas.

The move would be a blow to environmental groups and their supporters, Eilperin writes. EPA's current proposal would require any new plant to emit no more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour of electricity produced. The agency is supposed to finalize the rule by April 13 but is likely to miss that deadline, and officials are discussing with the White House how they might modify the proposal in order to ensure it can survive a legal challenge.