LEXINGTON — The Dawson Public Power District is asking its customers to make their voices heard on the federal level and oppose a new proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency that aims to curb carbon pollution from fossil fueled power plants.
In May the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new standards for coal and new natural gas fired power plants that they say would avoid more than 600 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, prevent 300,000 asthma attacks and 1,300 premature deaths in 2030 alone.
“Through 2042, EPA estimates the net climate and health benefits of the standards on new gas and existing coal-fired power plants are up to $85 billion,” per the EPA release.
“By proposing new standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, EPA is delivering on its mission to reduce harmful pollution that threatens people’s health and wellbeing,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
“EPA’s proposal relies on proven, readily available technologies to limit carbon pollution and seizes the momentum already underway in the power sector to move toward a cleaner future. Alongside historic investment taking place across America in clean energy manufacturing and deployment, these proposals will help deliver tremendous benefits to the American people—cutting climate pollution and other harmful pollutants, protecting people’s health, and driving American innovation,” Regan concluded.
“Installation of controls such as CCS for coal and gas plants, and low-GHG hydrogen co-firing for gas plants are more cost-effective for power plants that operate at greater capacity, more frequently, or over longer time periods,” the EPA states.
However, the proposal has been met with opposition, including from a public power supplier in Nebraska.
The Dawson Public Power District stated that the EPA proposal could, “could disrupt domestic energy security, force critical always-available power plants into early retirement and make new natural gas plants difficult to permit, site and build. This proposal would require the use of carbon capture and hydrogen technologies that are promising but not yet viable for widespread use.”
DPPD noted that in the same month as the EPA proposal, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation released its 2023 Summer Reliability Assessment, finding our country at greater risk of energy shortfalls, especially during times of higher electricity demand.
“The EPA must recognize the disruptive impact these requirements will have on the future of reliable energy,” DPPD stated.
To this end, DPPD is asking its customers to make their voices heard on the federal level.
The district is a member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, who represents both public power and electric cooperatives and is leading this grassroots effort.
“Through the website, VoicesForCooperativePower.com, customers can register and easily send an email notifying the EPA that they care about reliability and having affordable power,” DPPD states.
