New environmental rules announced for power plants in the United States

Washington D.C. April 25, 2024. Today at Howard University in Washington D.C., the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Regan, announced the new environmental measures of President Joe Biden's administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

These new rules would require energy-generating companies to install filters and technology allowing them to capture emissions resulting from coal combustion for electricity generation. Additionally, they establish stricter limits to prevent mercury pollution during coal combustion for energy generation, as well as reductions in pollutants discharged into the wastewater from these power plants.

The EPA administrator referred to four new rules to achieve these objectives. Although the proposal initially included existing natural gas-powered electricity plants in some measures, the agency decided to postpone the measures for these plants, so they would only apply to new power plants using this fuel.

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He assured that with these measures, 1.4 billion cubic meters of emissions would be eliminated. Power plants seeking to operate beyond 2039 must capture 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2032. They also aim to eliminate mercury and other toxic chemicals resulting from the operation of these plants, totaling more than 66,000 tons. With the same rules, they aim to improve water quality, eliminating 660 million pounds of contaminants per year from the wastewater of these facilities.

Lastly, they will seek to hold those who contaminate with coal ash accountable. According to the public official, all rules incorporate elements of transparency and accountability, so emission information, discharges, and compliance data must be made available to the public.

Coal combustion for energy generation in the United States accounts for around 16 percent of the total generation, while in 2010, it accounted for 45 percent. Natural gas is the primary fuel for energy generation in the country, providing approximately 43 percent of the electricity used in the country.

These rules are a fundamental part of President Biden's commitment to eliminate pollution from the energy sector by 2035 and across all sectors by 2050.

Former United States Secretary of Energy during the Donald Trump administration, Dan Brouillette, expressed disappointment with the Environmental Protection Agency's decision. He acknowledged that although carbon capture technology exists, it is not yet ready for large-scale implementation across various sectors of the U.S. economy.

The initiative has also garnered expressions of support from environmental groups and activists, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), who have welcomed the decision and consider the measures a firm step in the fight against climate change. "Good news! The EPA cracks down on mercury and other toxic power plant pollutants" the organization posted.

In addition to its environmental goals, the Biden administration hopes to maintain and regain support among young and environmentally conscious populations for the upcoming presidential elections in November of this year. During President Biden's tenure, several organizations have expressed frustration over the approval of fossil fuel projects such as the one by ConocoPhillips, allowing it to develop the Willow project, which involves drilling in three different sites on federal lands in Alaska, up to 199 oil and natural gas wells.

It has also faced criticism in this regard for approving a project for the construction and operation of a natural gas pipeline that would transport fuel through West Virginia and Virginia to markets in the Atlantic and southeastern regions of the country.

Nevertheless, there is a widespread consensus that a new presidency of Donald Trump would be disastrous for the country's environmental and climate change goals and, therefore, for the magnitude of the contributions of the United States to the planet.
Quoting President Joe Biden, the head of the country's environmental agency said, "We are the United States of America, and together there is no challenge too great."

We will have to wait for the response from the Republican Party to the announced measures, as well as opposition from fossil fuel industry lobbyists. It is important to remember that a series of measures from the Obama administration aimed at regulating the same industry were dismantled by the country's Supreme Court two years ago.