US EPA plans to require gas-fired power to capture CO2 emissions

• 11 months ago (2023-04-25)
• David Flin

Emissions 57 Gas 369 North America 996

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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to adopt requirements for gas-fired power generators to capture the CO2 emissions of their facilities, according to a report in Reuters.

According to the report, the new rules could be made public by the end of April, and would cover both new and existing gas-fired power generation facilities. Natural gas accounts for a quarter of total US carbon emissions.

To encourage more carbon capture, the Inflation Reduction Act features an increase in carbon capture credits from $45 per ton to $85 per ton of CO2 removed from a smokestack. The incentive is $180 per ton for carbon captured from the air.

If and when these rules come into effect, utilities will have to choose between investing in gas-fired plants with carbon capture and storage systems or renewables.

Natural gas accounts for the largest share of fossil fuel power generation in the US. In 2022, the total share of fossil fuels in power generation was 60 per cent, of which 60 per cent was natural gas.