EPA proposes industry-backed Affordable Clean Energy plan

The U.S. EPA has taken the first step to eliminate the Obama-era Clean Power Plan that was intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution from coal-fired electricity-generating utilities. The Trump administration’s proposed Affordable Clean Energy rule would allow industry and states to decide on efficiency improvements to reduce emissions. Under the Clean Power Plan, emissions reductions were negotiated by states and EPA. The Affordable Clean Energy proposal would also aid coal-based utilities by curbing the authority of the so-called new source review process that currently requires utilities to reduce overall emissions when making operating improvements at old power plants. Coal-based utilities strongly opposed the Clean Power Plan and new source review. Several states and health advocates oppose the new proposal and cite previous EPA studies that suggest the approach could lead to as many as 1,400 premature deaths annually by 2030. EPA will accept comments on the new proposal for 60 days.