EDF Welcomes EPA Proposal to Limit Climate Pollution from Power Plants

“EPA’s proposal to limit climate pollution from power plants is an urgently needed step toward protecting people from the devastating harms of climate change, from increasingly severe flooding, hurricanes and drought to worsening wildfires. Coal and gas-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the U.S. They are responsible for about one-quarter of U.S. greenhouse gases as well as other smog-forming and toxic pollutants.

“The good news is that we have pollution-free, affordable and reliable energy solutions available now and at the ready – turbocharged by the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act. Clean low-cost energy is the leading source of electricity generation being deployed in America right now, and it is creating jobs across the country and saving families money at the same time that it is providing healthier air for millions of people. Last year electricity generation from renewable energy surpassed coal-fired generation for the first time, and the Energy Information Administration finds increases in U.S. electricity generation are expected to come ‘almost entirely from solar and wind.’ Clean power is now the most affordable option, and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating its adoption.

“Today’s proposal, along with EPA’s earlier proposals to limit methane pollution from oil and gas industrial facilities and reduce tailpipe pollution from new cars and trucks, means that America will be taking important actions to address our nation’s three largest sources of climate pollution. These steps are solidly grounded in science and the law. Congress reinforced EPA’s legal responsibility to address climate pollution from power plants when it adopted the Inflation Reduction Act, responding to last year’s Supreme Court ruling.

“We welcome today’s vitally important proposal, which will bring us closer to a clean energy future with healthier air, a safer climate, good jobs, and affordable, reliable electricity.”

             - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund