Administration releases final carbon rules for Clean Power Plan

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August 3, 2015

President Obama unveiled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final carbon rules for the power sector in its Clean Power Plan on August 3. The plan aims to address drivers of climate change in the U.S. by reducing power emissions by 32 percent compared with 2005 levels by the time it is fully implemented in 2030. The rule includes new standards for vehicle emissions, renewable energies, and fossil fuel-based power plants. The EPA has created targets that vary by state to reflect their unique energy mix; states have the option of developing their own response or using a federal plan.                           

The rule is contentious among Republican members of Congress who are working to craft legislation that would allow states to opt out of the plan’s requirements. Some governors have gone a step further, saying that they will refuse to implement the regulations. Depending on the approach that states take, plans will likely develop over a few years and face challenges in Congress and the courts before being fully implemented.

Sources: E&E News