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Report: EPA climate rules for power plants likely delayed
The Obama administration is likely to revise controversial planned rules that would set carbon emissions standards for new power plants, a step that would delay completion of the regulations, according to a news account.
The Environmental Protection Agency in 2012 floated draft rules that would effectively prevent construction of new coal-fired plants unless they can somehow trap carbon emissions, drawing strong pushback from many GOP lawmakers and some coal-state Democrats.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources briefed on the matter, reported Friday on the potential revisions that will likely prompt the agency to miss the mid-April target to complete the rules and may “significantly” delay action.
From the Post:
Rewriting the proposal would significantly delay any action, and might allow the agency to set a separate standard for coal-fired power plants, which are roughly twice as polluting as those fueled by natural gas.
While the move could bolster the administration’s legal justification for regulating power plants’ carbon emissions, any retreat on the rules would be a blow to environmental groups and their supporters, who constituted a crucial voting block for President Obama and other Democrats in last year’s elections.
The potential changes and delays for the rules for new plants come as green groups are strongly pressing the agency to impose restrictions on existing coal plants, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
