EPA out with emissions limits for new coal-fired power plants

Revised emissions limits will soon take effect for new coal-fired power plants.  On Wednesday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency published those new rules in the Federal Register.

Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is just one of the many coal country critics of the new performance standards.  She said the regulations will effectively block construction of all new plants.

With the regulations, new coal-fired power plants will be limited to emissions of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour.  In order to meet that those levels, new plants would have to implement still-developing carbon capture technology.

Additionally, natural gas-fired power plants will have to keep emissions to below 1,000 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour.

Since September, the EPA has received more than 2.5 million comments on the emissions proposals for new plants.

Proposed emissions limits for existing coal-fired power plants are scheduled to be released by June.  Public hearings on those possible limits will begin later this month.  EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has said the EPA would not call for existing coal plants to use carbon capture and sequestration technology.