EPA Announces Timeline for Setting GHG Emissions Standards for Power Plants and Refineries
On Dec. 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a two-year timeline for setting standards for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from both new and existing power plants and oil refineries.
The timeline is part of two settlement agreements for lawsuits brought against the EPA by a coalition of states and environmental organizations. These agreements are the latest in a series of actions stemming from a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that obliges the EPA to incorporate GHGs in air regulations under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Recent EPA action has begun to address GHG emissions from large new and modified stationary sources. Through the New Source Review provisions of the CAA, the EPA is working with state and local air quality agencies to incorporate GHGs into the permitting processes for new and modified utility and industrial emission sources. The Alliance BACT to the Present article explains the new regulations that went into effect Jan. 2, 2011.
In this most recent announcement, EPA states that it will soon start regulating GHG emissions from both new and existing stationary sources of pollution under provisions of Section 111 of the CAA.
Emissions Standards and Guidelines for New and Existing Facilities
Section 111 of the CAA requires the EPA to set industry-specific standards for new and existing sources of pollution in various categories of industries. These standards, called New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), set the level of pollution new facilities may emit and provide guidelines for air pollution from existing facilities. The guidelines for existing facilities will help state and local air quality agencies develop emissions reductions plans that take into account the remaining useful life of the facility, among other factors such as available control technology and costs.
According to the settlement agreements, EPA will propose NSPSs for power plants in July 2011 that will be finalized by May 2012. Proposed standards for petroleum refineries will come in December 2011, to be finalized by November 2012.
In the coming months, EPA intends to perform public and stakeholder outreach. The proposed settlement agreements will be published in the Federal Register followed by a 30-day public comment period. The EPA also plans to conduct public and stakeholder outreach in the form of listening sessions starting in early 2011.
Additional Information:
- More background how EPA is addressing GHG emissions and the recent settlement agreements
- Business Council for Sustainable Energy coverage on the Alliance/BCSE co-sponsored Intro to the Clean Air Act Seminar
- Alliance article on GHG regulations under New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act
Graziella Siciliano works on the Alliance's Clean and Efficient Energy Program, an effort to assist public power utilities in initiating or expanding programs that will help them achieve their energy and carbon reduction goals. Learn More: http://www.cleanefficientenergy.org/
