With Kentucky Congressman Brett Guthrie and other congressional advocates for reliable energy at his side, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rolling back greenhouse gas limits on coal and gas power plants, citing economic concerns and energy reliability.
Saying previous regulations harmed the economy, Zeldin pledged that emissions would not increase beyond current levels. The agency also plans to weaken restrictions on mercury emissions, further shifting policy away from stringent environmental controls.
“Attempting to push baseload power sources—including coal, oil, and natural gas—offline puts our national security at risk and threatens our economy,” Guthrie said.
Click here to watch Kentucky Congressman Brett Guthrie’s remarks at the EPA announcement.
The agency asserts that fossil fuel plants are essential for maintaining affordable electricity and supporting industries like manufacturing and artificial intelligence. The proposed rollbacks aim to remove regulatory barriers, allowing domestic energy production to expand while saving the power sector an estimated $19 billion over two decades.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson praised the announcements. “These Biden-era EPA power sector rules are unlawful, unrealistic and unachievable. And they will jeopardize the reliability of the electric grid for as long as they remain in effect,” Matheson said. “Today’s announcements are a welcome course correction that will help electric co-ops reliably meet skyrocketing energy needs and keep the lights on at a cost local families and businesses can afford.
“These rules force power plants into premature retirement and handcuff how often new natural gas plants can run. Both of them are textbook examples of a bad energy policy that compounds today’s reliability challenges. We deeply appreciate the Trump administration’s recognition that these rules are unlawful, threaten American families and businesses and should be swiftly repealed.”
NRECA and its members object to the existing power plant rule because it exceeds EPA’s authority, disregards prior Supreme Court decisions, and requires the use of inadequately demonstrated carbon capture and storage technology.
The mercury and air rule is a costly mandate with no appreciable health benefits that will result in the premature retirement of some coal-fired units that are critical to electric reliability.
