Dedicated ELR Issue on the Proposed Clean Power Plan: Introduction

摘要

On June 18, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially proposed the Clean Power Plan-a rule that aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions from the nation's existing fleet of fossil fuel-fired power plants. The proposal was developed pursuant to §111(d) of the Clean Air Act, a section of the law for which there is limited regulatory precedent and no direct judicial decisions interpreting the statutory language. This lack of regulatory and judicial precedent, combined with broad language included in §111, raises a number of important legal, economic, technical, and political questions as the EPA seeks cost-effective and legally sound options for addressing electricity sector CO_2 emissions. The Environmental Law Institute and Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions co-hosted an expert workshop in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2014, to explore in detail the EPA's proposed rule and the legal issues it presents.