The Biden administration has effectively moved to eliminate the use of coal to keep America's lights on. On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced four major regulations aimed at reducing various forms of toxic and global warming pollution from coal-fired power plants, the nation's dirtiest source of electricity.
The most important of the new rules aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants to near zero. Three other rules would reduce emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin linked to developmental disorders in children. Limit the infiltration of toxic ash from coal-fired power plants into water supplies. Reduce wastewater discharge from factories. If the rule goes into effect, it is widely expected that nearly all remaining coal-fired power plants in the country will close by 2040.
Here's what you need to know about President Biden's new move to wipe out coal-fired power generation.
Are the new rules a big problem?
In short, yes.
Utilities have already had to comply with other environmental regulations for decades. They are forcing coal-fired power plant operators to invest in technologies such as “scrubbers” to remove toxins such as mercury, and safer ways to dispose of coal ash and wastewater from their facilities. .
But the new standards are the most extensive yet, and the industry claims they are impossible to meet. There is no widely used technology to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plant stacks. There is a very expensive technology called carbon capture and sequestration that captures emissions before they reach the atmosphere and stores them underground. But that process has never been implemented at any coal-fired power plants in the United States. The cheapest way to comply might be to simply shut down the country's roughly 200 remaining coal-fired power plants.
When will the new rules come into effect?
Under the plan, existing coal-fired power plants scheduled to remain in operation beyond 2039 must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032. Power plants scheduled to close by 2039 will have to reduce emissions by 16% by 2030. It would not be subject to the rules.
But the country's existing coal-fired power plants are aging, and many could close before the most stringent limits are met. More than 200 coal-fired power plants have closed in the past decade, and the average age of the surviving plants is nearly 50 years. The lifespan of coal-fired power plants in the United States is about 60 years, and about a quarter of the existing 200 plants are already scheduled to be retired by the end of the year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, this will continue for the next five years.
Where are these coal-fired power plants located?
Coal-fired power plants are located across the country, with the largest numbers in Pennsylvania, Texas, Indiana, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Iowa.
How much electricity can we get from coal?
Coal use in the United States has plummeted in the decades since 1990, when coal produced half of the country's electricity. Last year, coal accounted for 16.2% of electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Renewable energy – a combination of wind, solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal – has already overtaken coal, accounting for 21.4 percent of electricity generation by 2023. Natural gas accounted for 43.1 percent of the country's electricity.
Can the new rules be overturned?
Yes, in two important ways.
Republican-led states and the coal industry are almost certain to challenge the rule in court. The Supreme Court has already limited how the EPA regulates power plants, and a conservative-leaning court could further constrain the administration's efforts.
The second Trump administration could also cause regulatory problems. Former President Donald J. Trump vowed to promote fossil fuels and roll back Biden's regulations if Biden is elected in November.
