EPA coal plant rule cuts emissions 90%, removes 17M homes worth of power

The White House unveiled a plan to significantly cut down on emissions from coal-fired power plants, aiming for a 90% reduction by 2032. This move, announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday, April 25, is projected to yield $370 billion in climate and public health net benefits over the next two decades, while also avoiding up to 1,200 premature American deaths.

Achieving compliance with the new regulations will come at a considerable cost for plant owners, estimated to range between $10 and $14 billion. Over the next decade, the new requirements are expected to result in a nearly 30% reduction in coal-fired power generation, equivalent to the electricity needed to power over 17.3 million homes. Meanwhile, the nation’s energy demands are skyrocketing and they are projected to double within the next two years.

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The EPA argues that these measures are necessary to address one of the nation’s “biggest environmental challenges,” as coal remains the largest single source of pollution in the United States energy sector. Enforcing the new regulations is anticipated to lead to a substantial reduction in carbon pollution, with estimates suggesting a decrease of over 1.3 billion metric tons by 2047 — a figure equivalent to the annual emissions of 328 million gasoline-powered cars.

The Biden administration sees this initiative as a critical step toward its goal of eliminating domestically produced greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, the EPA’s rule is expected to face legal challenges, with concerns raised about its potential impact on the reliability of the U.S. electric grid. Several states and industry groups are expected to challenge the regulations in court.