The EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, stated on February 10 that it is “on track” to issue a proposed carbon dioxide emission standard for existing power plants in June of 2014. According to the EPA, generation of electricity is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 33% of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. According to McCarthy, the new rule will “…encourage clean energy investment that expands domestic industries and secures good paying jobs here in the United States, while making sure there is space for a diverse fuel supply.”
For more information, contact Phillip Hoover or Steve O’Day.
Let’s hope the EPA doesn’t come up with recommendations that force the coal industry to adopt technology that doesn’t exist and will exist in the foreseeable future like the EPA did last year with its standards for new coal-fired power plants.
When it comes to reducing carbon emissions, it’s better to go after half a loaf then go for the full loaf and end up with no loaf at all.