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EPA releases emission rule information Publishes new data, ideas as part of public comment period for proposed power plant GHG emissions regs; adds Indian Country rule Alan Bailey Petroleum News
On Oct. 28 the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was making available some new information and ideas, in connection with the public comment period for the agency’s proposed regulations, establishing limits for carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants. The agency also announced that it proposing an emissions rule that would apply to the handful of power plants that are located inside Indian Country. The proposed regulations set emissions targets on a state-by-state basis - the proposed new rule would bring Indian Country into the regulatory scheme.
Comments on the proposed regulations are due by Dec. 1.
State-based limits The regulations, which apply to large, commercial power plants, would set each state a limit on the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted per unit of power generated. States must develop plans for achieving their emissions limits by 2030 through some combination of power generation efficiency, changes in generation technologies and improved efficiency of power use. There are required dates for plan submission. And, if a state does not end up with an EPA-approved plan, EPA will prepare and mandate a plan for the state.
The target emissions limits are based on a percentage of each state’s power-generation-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2012.
EPA says that it has already received more than 1.5 million public comments on its proposals and that, at this point, it is publishing ideas and issues that these comments have consistently raised. During what remains of the comment period, people can consider these ideas and issues while formulating their own comments, the agency says.
Wide range of ideas During a press conference announcing the release of the new information, Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Regulation, said her agency had heard a wide range of ideas and issues from states, stakeholders and the public about the proposed clean power plan.
The additional information that EPA is publishing reflects questions that people have commonly raised and does not relate in any way to making the regulations either more stringent or less stringent, she said.
She said that, in particular, the notice of information discusses three issues that have emerged from the comments that EPA has received:
• The possibility of having credits for early emissions curtailment, and the use of other more flexible arrangements to meet the requirements of a proposed trajectory of emissions reductions between 2020 and 2029;
• Additional ideas for using natural gas for emissions reductions, beyond the possibilities discussed in EPA’s proposed regulations; and
• The possibility of a more regional approach to establishing renewable energy targets.
The notice also discusses alternative ways that have been suggested for calculating state emissions goals, she said.
EPA is also making available emissions data for the years 2010 and 2011, in addition to the information already available for 2012. That will enable people to assess the impact of using multiple years rather than a single year as the baseline for the emission levels, McCabe said.
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