Biden’s EPA proposes strict rules for carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants and promotes carbon capture.

EPA Unveils Strictest-Ever Rules for Power Production

After weeks of anticipation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its strictest-ever rules for power produced using natural gas, coal, and oil. These rules could spur the use of carbon capture technologies and impact both new and old power infrastructure.

What You Need to Know

• The standards released on May 11 would impact new and old power infrastructure, including new natural gas turbines and the country’s existing coal fleet.
• The EPA thinks its proposals will induce American power plants to boost their use of certain technologies, including the co-firing of fossil fuels with what it calls low-greenhouse gas (GHG) hydrogen and, in particular, the capture, sequestration, and storage of carbon.
• The agency projects that the standards will help America avoid thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of lost workdays, and over 300,000 asthma attacks just in the year 2030.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters that the standards are about “clean air to breathe,” claiming they would yield “substantial health benefits” as well as “regulatory certainty” for the energy sector. The agency believes that the proposals will induce American power plants to boost their use of certain technologies, including the co-firing of fossil fuels with low-GHG hydrogen and the capture, sequestration, and storage of carbon.

Regan and others with the EPA repeatedly stressed that they do not believe their vision runs afoul of West Virginia v. EPA. The EPA believes that its proposals will induce American power plants to boost their use of certain technologies, including the co-firing of fossil fuels with low-GHG hydrogen and the capture, sequestration, and storage of carbon.

Carbon-Free Electricity by 2035

President Joe Biden aims to achieve “a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035,” as expressed in a 2021 executive order. EPA officials and staff told reporters on May 10 that the ambition was still within reach.

Ali Zaidi, the White House national climate advisor, characterized the target as a “North Star” on policy. He also stressed that the rules are still proposals and liable to change based on input from the energy sector, organized labor, and other constituencies.

Carbon Capture’s Feasibility

Carbon capture is key for cutting emissions from at least some sources, according to EPA documentation. An agency staff member who spoke with reporters on May 10 said carbon capture is the best option “for long-lived, coal-fired power plants.”

While some experts believe that carbon capture is feasible, others are skeptical. Fossil fuel advocates greeted the EPA’s latest with skepticism. Steve Milloy, a former member of the EPA’s transition team under Trump, challenged the idea that the rulemaking is in line with West Virginia v. EPA.

Mike O’Boyle of Energy Innovation Policy & Technology LLC said, “Just because the agency tailored its rules around emissions levels that could be met with carbon capture systems doesn’t mean utilities will be compelled to install them.”

There will be a 60-day comment period once the rule appears in the Federal Register.