Study Finds Power Plant Rules No Threat To Grid Reliability; Talks With OMB Continue

摘要

Forthcoming carbon dioxide pollution regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency won't threaten the reliability of the nation's electric grid, a new study concluded. The study, "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions From Existing Power Plants," by the Analysis Group, said fears that the Clean Air Act regulations will affect grid reliability don't account for three factors: the mission-oriented nature of the electric utility industry to ensure reliability, the anticipated long implementation period the agency will allow for the new standards and the inherent flexibility within Section 111 (d) of the Clean Air Act. "There is no reasonable basis to anticipate that EPA's guidance, the states' [implementation plans] and the electric industry's compliance with them will create reliability problems for the power system, as long as EPA and the states plan appropriately and take timely actions to assure electric-system reliability in their plans," the study, written by the Analysis Group's Susan Tier-ney, concluded.