(Speaker60031)Implementation and Compliance Challenges Associated with the Clean Power Plan 111(d) Regulations – A Western Perspective

摘要

In June of 2013, President Barack Obama published a Climate Action Plan1 which established ahigh level roadmap for the continued reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.The Plan built upon the Administration’s efforts to reduce emissions from the transportationsector and continued promoting clean energy technologies (natural gas, coal and nuclear energy)and renewable energy (wind and solar) development. As the centerpiece of this Plan, theAdministration targeted reductions in the power sector, both from new and existing power plants,which produces upwards of 40% of carbon pollution in the U.S.The White House took further action by issuing a Presidential Memorandum on June 25, 20132.The Memorandum directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue standards,regulations, or guidelines to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from new, modified, reconstructed,and existing power plants. It was clear from the Memorandum that the Administration wanted tosee progress on this directive quickly, setting the following aggressive deadlines forimplementation of regulatory actions by EPA: September 20, 2013 - Proposed carbon pollution standards, regulations, or guidelines fornew power plants. It should be noted that less than 3 months were provided for this newproposal since it was EPA’s second attempt at a proposal following receipt of over 2million comments on the original proposal. June 18, 2014 - Proposed carbon dioxide pollution standards, regulations, or guidelines,for modified, reconstructed, and existing power plants.