The United States cancels climate requirements for power plants
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced changes to the rules for emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from coal and gas-fired power plants. This is reported by Power Magazine.
In particular, the agency said it would repeal a 2024 decree that would require existing coal-fired power plants and future gas-fired power plants to begin capturing carbon over the next decade.
As noted by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, the new rules of the Trump administration, among other things, will cancel the destructive policy for the industry. The agency, while weakening them, also stated that "cost-effective control measures[for wikidata]are not available."
David Naylor, president and CEO of the Rayburn Electric Cooperative in Texas, explained to the publication that these steps will give power producers time to assess the viability of existing fossil fuel assets.
The American Institute of Iron and Steel (AISI) has approved the EPA statement. According to Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of AISI, greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in the United States do not significantly contribute to a predominantly global problem. In the United States, they have declined significantly since 2005 and will continue to decline in the near future.
As noted, AISI supports innovative, market-based approaches, rather than strict federal requirements for the energy sector, which can negatively affect not only metallurgy, but also the overall reliability of the grid.
Earlier, AISI expressed concern about the rule proposed during the Biden administration, submitting relevant comments to the EPA. In particular, it was noted that the steel industry is heavily dependent on electricity for its operations, and the industry is striving to continue electrifying enterprises. Therefore, the demand for electricity will grow, and any potential impact on its production, both in terms of cost and reliability, is of increased concern to metallurgists.