We are an industry leader in transitioning from coal to cleaner energy sources by retiring our seven oldest coal plants next year, or 30 percent of our coal fleet; buying a natural gas plant in Jackson; and continuing investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
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The ferocity of the opposition to the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan might be amusing were it not so reckless and deceptive.
The long-shot request filed Wednesday by West Virginia and others is the first step in their plans to challenge the regulations in federal court.
They couldn’t be. The Clean Power Plan has become yet another important policy on which public discussion is degraded by an onslaught of political spin. I am pleased that the EPA has requested assistance input from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in overseeing the implementation of the rule to ensure that reliability is protected.
In accordance with the Clean Power Plan, each state will be given individual goals for cutting Carbon dioxide emissions and it will be up to the state to decide how to get there. Doing so won’t help to reduce carbon emissions in China or India – or anywhere else across the globe, for that matter.
“In 2014, the clean-energy market in the U.S. expanded by 14 percent, to nearly $200 billion”.
“We’re the first generation to feel the impact of climate change”.
Phasing out coal, the dirtiest form of power generation, likely will feature prominently in many states’ plans. Hopefully states will embrace their role in making this effort to fight climate change a success. But it doesn’t say exactly how.
Now that goals have been set, the EPA is expected to give states a wide array of flexibility to meet their targets, including a vast array of different techniques.
The administration is trumpeting the new rules as the penultimate moment for reversing climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan has already drawn plenty of criticism since the final details were unveiled this week.
On climate change, Mr. Ban highly commended Mr. Obama’s strong commitment “since day one in his office up to now”, and said he would continue to count on his leadership until countries are able to reach an global agreement on climate change in December in Paris.
So what will the new plan – which puts a keen focus on coal-fired power plants – mean for metro Birmingham?
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“Bill Gates recently said, ‘If we create the right environment for innovation, we can accelerate the pace of progress, develop and deploy new solutions, and eventually provide everyone with reliable, affordable energy that is carbon free.'”.
