EPA weakens power plant climate rule - E&E News by POLITICO
EPA weakens power plant climate rule - E&E News by POLITICO
EPA has removed existing natural gas facilities from its climate rule on power plants, a significant weakening of a key regulation on greenhouse gases.
Five people briefed on the change said existing combined-cycle natural gas turbines would be excluded from the rule, which EPA is planning to send to the White House for review Friday. The rule will cover existing coal-fired and new gas plants and is expected to be finalized in April.
The move comes as the Biden administration has diluted other upcoming climate rules on vehicles and corporations.
Agency officials have decided they need more time to craft a rule that regulates the nation’s existing gas fleet without creating reliability problems, the people said. The Biden administration still intends to regulate existing gas, but the rule is unlikely to be finalized in President Joe Biden’s first term.
Last year, EPA issued a supplementary proposal asking for input about how to avoid reliability problems under the draft power plant rule, which would have required existing coal-fired facilities and some gas plants to either shut down, to capture carbon dioxide or — in the case of gas — burn high blends of hydrogen by dates in the 2030s.
The standard for existing gas plants was added to the proposed rule at the last minute last year, when it was under review at the White House, and utilities warned it would harm grid reliability.
EPA declined to comment for this story.
Reporter Kelsey Brugger contributed.
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