The White House has announced new regulations aimed at reducing pollution from power plants, particularly those fueled by coal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the rules on Thursday (April 25), which could force many coal power plants to either capture smokestack emissions or shut down.
The new regulations are part of the Biden administration's broader effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, the nation's second-largest contributor to climate change. The rules are expected to significantly reduce pollution from the power sector, delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protect public health, advance environmental justice, and confront the climate crisis.
"Today, EPA is proud to make good on the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision to tackle climate change and to protect all communities from pollution in our air, water, and in our neighborhoods,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
The new rules are expected to have a significant impact on Pennsylvania, which has the largest number of coal-fired power plants in the country. Industry leaders have criticized the new regulations as unachievable and warn that they could lead to the closure of many coal plants unless costly upgrades are undertaken.
However, the EPA argues that the schedule for the new rules would give companies time to comply. The agency's analysis indicates that issuing these rules at the same time is likely to create more efficiency for facilities that are now able to evaluate compliance steps together rather than only for each rule in isolation.
Despite these assurances, the new regulations are likely to face legal challenges from industry groups and Republican-leaning states, who accuse the Democratic administration of overreach on environmental regulations.