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Thursday, March 29, 2012

No New Coal Plants Under Draft EPA Rules

The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday proposed greenhouse-gas regulations that effectively would prohibit the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

The rules, released in draft form and expected to be finalized later this year, would require new coal facilities to use expensive carbon-capture technology, which is still being developed and is not yet financially viable.

The EPA is not limiting emissions from existing coal plants, which provide about 45 percent of the nation’s electricity, or those expected to break ground within the next 12 months.

Despite those exemptions, some energy analysts are warning that the agency’s actions could result in higher electricity rates in coming years. Many in the industry also see the proposal as another example of what they say is the Obama administration’s unrelenting war on fossil fuels, contrary to the president’s frequent claims to have an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The EPA just lost a recent court battle in Texas. The EPA was told to mind their own business. I really love the sudden surge in pushing back against the federal government. I say we keep going until we get back to having the states rights our founders intended us to have.