US proposes first caps on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants

The US government has proposed new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired and gas-fired power plants in its most ambitious attempt to tackle pollution that directly contributes to global warming.

A ruling to be released this Thursday by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could force factories to capture emissions using technology that is available but not widely used in the United States (US).

The proposed regulation will mark the first time the federal government has capped carbon emissions from existing power plants, which produce about 25% of US greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the transportation sector.

The rule will also apply to future power plants and will prevent emissions of up to 617 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2042, the equivalent of 137 million passenger cars annually, the EPA said.

By 2038, the vast majority of coal-fired power plants, along with large gas-fired power plants, will have to reduce or capture almost all carbon dioxide emissions by 2038, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Centers that cannot meet these new standards will be forced to close.

The plan is likely to be opposed by industry groups and Republican-leaning states that have accused the Democratic administration of over-enforcement of environmental regulations and warned of a crisis of confidence in the energy sector.

Coal generates about 20% of US electricity, up from about 45% in 2010. Natural gas generates about 40%, ahead of nuclear and renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower.

At a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, EPA Administrator Michael Reagan said the agency is “on its mission to reduce harmful pollution that threatens human health and well-being,” adding that the proposal is “based on proven, affordable technologies to limit carbon emissions.” “. pollution” and industry methods already in use.

Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents electric companies owned by US investors, said the group will assess whether the EPA’s proposal is in line with its commitment to providing clean and reliable electricity.

Carbon emissions from the US energy sector are at the same level as in 1984, and electricity consumption has increased by 73% since then, Kuhn said.

The EPA rule does not require the use of carbon capture and storage equipment — an expensive technology still under development — but instead sets limits on carbon pollution that plant operators must comply with.

Some natural gas plants may start blending the gas with another fuel source, such as hydrogen, that does not emit carbon, but the specific steps will be left to the industry.

However, regulation is expected to lead to increased use of carbon capture equipment, a technology that the EPA says has “adequately demonstrated” pollution control.

Most recently, the US energy industry exceeded the emissions targets set by the Obama administration in its Clean Energy Plan, although the plan was blocked by the courts and never implemented.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, about 60% of the electricity generated in the US last year came from burning fossil fuels at the country’s 3,400 coal-fired and gas-fired power plants.

“These rules are important,” said David Doniger, senior strategy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council for Climate and Clean Energy.

He added that the plant’s rules are critical to achieving the goals of President Joe Biden, who makes combating global warming his top priority, to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and eliminate carbon emissions from the energy grid by 2035.