The Biden administration is preparing to release a historic rule as soon as next week to curb planet-warming pollution from the nation’s thousands of power plants. The measure will face extraordinary legal scrutiny while drawing political attacks from fossil fuel proponents, Jean Chemnick, Pamela King and Robin Bravender write. But the rule will face an additional hurdle should it survive long enough to be implemented: utilities. Across the country, coal plants are retiring and power companies are striving to incorporate increasing amounts of solar, wind and other clean sources into their energy mix during the coming decades. But the upcoming rules are expected to set even more ambitious clean power targets, testing the limits of how fast the sector can make the transition, Jason Plautz writes. While the details of the new rule could change, it’s expected to require coal and natural gas power plants to cut or capture almost all their carbon dioxide emissions by 2040. But that’s a decade sooner than most of the nation’s largest power producers are aiming to be net carbon free, according to an analysis by POLITICO’s E&E News. The EPA rule could mean that fossil fuel plant owners will either shut them down or make major investments in carbon capture technology. “Anything is achievable, but there are costs to consider and technological improvements are needed to ensure reliability,” Sam Berman, principal analyst for power and renewables for the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, told Jason. What we found: Of the United States’ top 10 power producers, six have set deadlines to be net carbon free by 2050, the E&E News review found. Three others have set targets ranging from 2040 to 2045. One has no net-zero carbon goal at all. Those goals signal the widespread differences in how power companies are approaching the climate crisis across various regions and generation sources, as well as the challenges they may face with an earlier target. There is general agreement among energy analysts that reaching high levels of clean power by 2040 is technologically feasible. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, or inexpensive. “The incremental cost to 100% of net zero is where a lot of the uncertainty lies with emerging technologies and how cost effective their solutions are,” Berman told Jason.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment