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Threatening Reliable Energy

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power plant rule threatens electric cooperatives’ ability to provide reliable, affordable electricity.

In May, the EPA released its long-anticipated greenhouse gas final rule aimed at existing coal and new natural gas power plants.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
(NRECA) believes that the final rule is unlawful, unachievable and unrealistic. EPA’s rules mandate inadequately demonstrated technology and unachievable emissions limits on an unworkable timeframe in violation of the Clean Air Act and Supreme Court decisions. The final rule jeopardizes affordable and reliable electricity by forcing the premature closure of always available power plants while also making it harder to permit, site and build critical new power plants.

Specifically, NRECA believes the final rule:

• Disregards the Law and Supreme Court Decisions: The rule violates the Clean Air Act because EPA asserts vast new authority of major economic and political significance without a clear statement from Congress. This disregards the “major questions doctrine” and is inconsistent with the text, structure and context of Clean Air Act Section 111.

• Requires the Use of Inadequately Demonstrated Technology: While carbon capture and storage is a promising technology, it is not yet widespread nor commercially available and thus has not been “adequately demonstrated” as is required by the Clean Air Act. There are no units in the country currently achieving EPA’s required 90% capture rate consistently and while operating at baseload levels.

• Mandates Unrealistic and Unachievable Timelines: There is insufficient infrastructure in place, especially massive pipeline networks, to support CCS and hydrogen, even assuming the technologies work as EPA envisions. The necessary infrastructure cannot reasonably be expected to be in place in time to meet EPA’s requirements.

• Jeopardizes Reliability and Affordability: The final rule will reduce key generating resources, magnifying today’s reliability challenges with grave consequences for an already stressed electric grid. All of this will occur while the demand for electricity skyrockets as we electrify more of the American economy.

In short, the final rules will jeopardize reliability and result in more blackouts, higher costs and greater uncertainty for American families and businesses.

For more information, please visit aecc.com/balance-of-power.