EPA power plant rule to reduce carbon emissions

• 11 months ago (2023-05-12)
• David Flin

Coal 273 Emissions 57 Gas 370 North America 996

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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new air pollution regulations to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants.

The regulations would require carbon reduction technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to be installed on units at the highest-emitting power plants from 2032. The regulations will strengthen current New Source Performance Standards for all new gas-fired turbines; establish emissions guidelines for states to follow in limiting carbon pollution from existing fossil fuel fired units; and establish emissions guidelines for large existing fossil fuel fired stationary combustion turbines. The rule relies heavily on CCS and low-carbon hydrogen or natural gas co-firing as the most cost-effective technologies.

The EPA said the proposal is the result of input from a variety of stakeholders, including firms and representatives from the power sector. It said that the proposal gives power plant owners and utilities time and flexibility in how they comply. Starting in 2030, the proposals would generally require more CO2 emissions control at fossil fuel-fired power plants that operate more frequently and for more years, and would phase in increasingly stringent CO2 requirements over time.