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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
/
Biden administration considers scrapping its cutting-edge proposal to
slash power plant pollution
By Ella Nilsen, CNN
Updated:
2:20 PM EDT, Fri April 19, 2024
Source: CNN
The Biden administration is contemplating scrapping the most
cutting-edge aspect of its highly anticipated and impactful , two
sources familiar with the plan told CNN. The administration may also
allow a slower phase-in for a portion of the rules, which are due to be
finalized as soon as next week.
The potential change of plans comes as the administration faces fierce
political headwinds, a conservative that has shown aggressive interest
in curtailing the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority and
questions over how fast electric utilities can pivot to the most
innovative climate solutions.
The EPA is considering eliminating a proposal for new natural gas
plants to use alongside natural gas to make electricity, the sources
said. The expected changes mean both existing coal and new gas plants
would primarily rely on to cut their climate pollution, rather than
hydrogen fuels.
Hydrogen, while in its infancy, is seen by scientists as the future of
clean, climate-friendly fuel. But not all environmental groups are
opposed to shelving the idea, given the concerns that the current
forms hydrogen are not yet 100% pollution-free, and worries that it
could expose the rule to legal challenges.
The power plant rules are still under review and no final decisions on
them have been made.
EPA spokesperson Tim Carroll declined to comment, saying, “The draft
final rule is currently with the Office of Management and Budget under
interagency review.” A White House spokesperson did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
The EPA power plant rules are one of the most important and highly
anticipated planks of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda.
The potential change comes amid questions on how quickly the industry
could scale up , a derived both from fossil fuels such as natural gas,
as well as cleaner hydrogen – which uses clean electricity to split
water.
A handful of projects have demonstrated the ability to burn hydrogen in
a gas turbine, “but it’s not a widespread technology yet,” Mike
O’Boyle, the senior director of electricity at nonpartisan think tank
Energy Innovation, told CNN.
Utilities have proposed building more natural gas plants to keep
electricity flowing onto a grid with increased demands from the growing
number of electric vehicles and AI and data centers. Clean energy and
climate groups have argued in favor of cleaner and cheaper sources of
energy such as wind, solar and battery storage.
The possible move away from hydrogen could make it easier for the EPA
to defend against potential court challenges to the plan.
The conservative Supreme Court and its 2022 ruling on has loomed large
over how the agency has crafted its rules. The Supreme Court ruling
significantly curtailed the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon
pollution at power plants by having utilities outfit their power plants
with carbon capture, rather than requiring a shift from coal or
natural gas-fired power to cheaper and cleaner sources like wind and
solar.
One of the thorny issues facing the EPA was how using hydrogen at
natural gas plants would fall in the Supreme Court’s narrow
definition. And some environmental groups were concerned it would be
tough for the federal government to ensure the hydrogen was clean, not
more polluting.
The EPA is also considering pushing back its initial timeline requiring
existing coal-fired power plants to cut or capture 90% of their
planet-warming pollution using by two years to 2032, the sources said.
The EPA it would delay the rule-making process for carbon emissions
from existing gas plants, which had initially been covered under the
agency’s proposal last year.
O’Boyle said that, judging from the comments and wide disagreement
from industry and environmental groups, it is very likely that EPA will
face a lawsuit.
“One thing we can all count on is that the EPA will be sued by an
aggrieved party under this rule, no matter what,” O’Boyle said.
“There will be lawsuits.”
Vickie Patton, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, told
reporters on a Thursday call she believes the EPA’s final rule will
be on “strong” legal footing.
“They’ve really followed the law, and they have also a very
rigorous record,” Patton said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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