EPA Says Utilities' Carbon Cuts Must Be Traceable To Existing Plant NSPS

摘要

EPA officials say the agency's pending first-time rule to cut existing power plants' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be limited to cover programs that can be "traced back" to CO2 cuts at regulated utilities, which could limit the extent states could allow off-site CO2 reduction programs to qualify under their plans for complying with the rule. But a coalition of attorneys general (AGs) from 17 states counters that the Clean Air Act's section 111 (d) new source performance standard (NSPS) provision under which EPA is crafting the rule does not allow the agency to dictate what states must do to limit carbon emissions from power plants. The AGs say EPA has authority under the air law to require states to adopt greenhouse gas (GHG) standards but must defer to states on the specifics of those standards. Relevant documents are available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details. (Doc ID: 2446737) EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is vowing that the existing source CO2 rule will defer heavily to states, telling the Environmental Council of the States' Sept. 16 annual meeting in Arlington, VA, that, "The existing standard approach is one in which we will rely on states to define plans while EPA establishes guidelines."