"The Obama administration’s proposed rule to control greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants -- the first ever -- could go far toward closing out the era of old-fashioned coal-burning power generation."
"The draft rule, unveiled on Tuesday by Lisa P. Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, would limit carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants to 1,000 pounds per megawatt-hour.
Recently built power plants fired by natural gas already easily meet the new standards, so the rule presents little obstacle for new gas plants. But coal-fired plants face a far greater challenge, since no easily accessible technology can bring their emissions under the limit. Coal-fired plants are a major source of emissions associated with global warming. The new rules do not apply to existing plants.
The coal industry is an economic mainstay of many local economies, and the rule was denounced from West Virginia to Wyoming and on the Republican presidential campaign trail on Tuesday."
Felicity Barringer reports for the New York Times March 27, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"3 Utilities That Aren't Worried About The EPA Emissions Proposal" (GreenBiz.com)
"EPA Announces Historic Rule To Limit Climate Pollution From New Power Plants" (McClatchy)
"No New Coal Plants! Great, But What About the Old Ones?" (Mother Jones)
"U.S. EPA Puts First Greenhouse Gas Limits on New Power Plants" (ENS)
"EPA Plan Targets New Coal-Fired Plants" (NPR)
"EPA Emission Standards May Rule Out New Coal Power Plants" (Los Angeles Times)
"U.S. Power Plants To Face New Carbon Emission Limits" (AFP)
"It’s the End of Coal As We Know It, and the EPA Feels Fine" (NPR/StateImpact)
"Analysis: EPA Rule a New Setback for New Coal Plants" (Reuters)
"EPA Seeks Power-Plant Limits" (Bloomberg)
