Bidens EPA pursues dramatic clampdown on emissions from power plants

A suite of new rules to dramatically slash pollution from coal and natural gas plants was unveiled by the Biden administration Thursday — and critics promptly blasted the measures as “death by a thousand cuts to America’s fossil fuel industry.” Under the new regime, existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants will be mandated to capture 90% of all carbon pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency announced.To operate plants beyond 2039, they would need to have proper carbon capture systems fulfilling those requirements by 2032, officials explained to reporters.EPA honchos hope that the new rule, coupled with tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, will trigger innovation and push energy companies to adopt more carbon-friendly technology.

The agency also rolled out three other major rules, entailing the tightening up of emissions standards for neurotoxin mercury from coal-fired plants, reducing wastewater pollution from coal-fired plants by around 660 million pounds per year, and stronger restrictions on coal ash management.Those new rules tap into authority from the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.“By developing these standards in a clear, transparent, inclusive manner, EPA is cutting pollution while ensuring that power companies can make smart investments and continue to deliver reliable electricity for all Americans,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.Those four major rule changes pose significant hurdles for the coal industry, which contributed to roughly 16.2% of US utility-scale electricity generation in 2023, according to the Energy Information Administration.Natural gas accounted for 43.1% of US utility-scale electricity generation that same year, per the EIA.The agency estimates that the new rules can slash emissions by roughly 1.4 billion metric tons through 2047.Regan previously emphasized the need for regulatory certainty so that businesses can properly plan for the...