Calling the EPA’s latest regulations on carbon dioxide emissions “inconsistent with sound energy policy,” Associated Industries of Missouri president Ray McCarty has written a letter to President Obama asking for the EPA to stand down from its latest New Source Performance Standards rule.
The letter follows:
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to respectfully urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) make changes to its proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) rule. As currently drafted, the rule is inconsistent with sound energy policy and your “all of the above” energy strategy which is critical to meeting our nation’s demand for affordable, reliable electricity.
As it now stands, the proposal requires new fossil fuel-fired electric generating units—both natural gas-fired and coal-fired—to meet a carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rate that can only be achieved using new natural gas combined cycle units or new coal-fired units equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Since CCS technology is still under development, it is not economical for use on electricity generating units. While EPA has proposed an extension for coal-fired units to install CCS within the first ten years of operation, the proposed rule will prevent the construction of even the highest-efficiency coal-fired power plants which otherwise comply with stringent federal and state clean air regulations.
Associated Industries of Missouri strongly urges the EPA to modify the proposed NSPS rule in the following manner: Apply different CO2 standards for coal-fired and natural gas-fired units, as has been the case historically. NSPS should not be a one-size-fits-all mandate, but instead should impose separate reasonable standards for these two sources; and,
Set a standard for new coal-fired plants that is achievable by high-efficiency plants under normal operating conditions and currently available technologies without requiring the use of still-evolving CCS technology;
These changes will ensure the electricity generation sector has the option to build new, clean and efficient coal plants in the future. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely, Ray McCarty President/CEO
Associated Industries of Missouri has represented the state’s 152,000 employers since 1919
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