The United States Environmental Protection Agency is moving to the reverse regulations aimed at limiting air pollution from electric power plants, announced administrator Lee Zeldin on June 11.
The proposed rules are aimed at Greehouse gas emission rules for fossil fuel power plants established in 2015 and updated last year, as well as modifications to mercury and air toxic rules for last year’s power plants to limit their emissions. In March, Zeldin included the rules on a board of dozens of regulations, he said he wanted to re -roll as part of the Trump administration focused on the reduction of regulations, with officials who claim that electric power stations are no longer an important source of global emissions, despite the statistics of the United Nations and other sources that contradict the statement.
In an important case, Western Virginia vs EPAThat the Washington Court of Appeal, DC, said that electricity sector emissions were significant enough to deserve regulation.
Speaking at the EPA headquarters, Zeldin said that the regulations had forced to close some aging fossil fuel plants. He also emphasized the increasing demand for electricity to feed artificial intelligence data centers. AI data centers represent more than 3% of electricity demand and “they will eat almost 10% of the North -American electricity supply within ten years,” he added.
In a proposed rule, EPA says that, according to the provisions of the clean air law, it must be noted that GHG emissions of fossil fuel plants contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution before these emissions can regulate. However, he also proposes that these emissions do not contribute significantly to air pollution according to the law. The generation of electrical energy accounted for 25% of the North -American greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, the most recent data available, according to EPA.
The second proposed rule would repeal the amendments to the Mercury and Toxics rule last year, which have not yet come into force. The rule of Biden’s time strengthened emission standards for coal plants, reducing the toxic metal standard by 67% and the Mercury standard by 70%. The repeal of the last rule would reverse the standards at the levels of 2012.
In April, the EPA already exempted dozens of companies to follow the regulations of Mercury and other aerial toxics for two years.
The EPA estimates that referrals would save the $ 19 billion electricity sector in regulatory costs over 20 years.
Some republican members of the congress, who joined Zeldin, the proposal to repeal the rules. The American Iron and Steel Institute also supported the move, said President and CEO Kevin Dempsey, citing the need for more affordable electricity.
“The onerous, expensive and unprofiting mandate included in the current electric power plant would adversely affect the innovations that are already being implemented to reduce the carbon footprint in the United States,” he said.
But, “raising the white flag of surrender” on the air pollution of the power plant, said Manish Bapna, chairman and CEO of the Defense Council for Natural Resources, the EPA allows immense damage “to the climate and public health. NRDC will challenge the repeal in court if it is completed, he added.
Observers specify that the lack of scientific and cost-benefit-benefit-benefit-benefit-benefit-approved analysis could become a legal risk as lawsuits arise.
EPA has not yet published the proposals in the federal register, but plans to hold a public hearing 15 days after publication and accept public comments for 45 days.
