The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed Clean Air Act standards to reduce carbon emissions from new power plants. Under the proposal, new large natural gas-fired turbines would need to meet a limit of 1,000 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour, while new small natural gas-fired turbines would need to meet a limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour. New coal-fired units would need to meet a limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour, and would have the option to meet a somewhat tighter limit if they choose to average emissions over multiple years, giving those units additional operational flexibility.
The agency is accepting comment and information on the proposal, including holding a public hearing. The comment period will be open for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. In a separate action, EPA is rescinding the April 2012 proposal to limit emissions from new power plants.
Separately, EPA has initiated outreach to a wide variety of stakeholders in advance of the development of emission guidelines for existing power plants. In accordance with the June 25, 2013 Presidential Memorandum, EPA will issue proposed standards for existing power plants by June 1, 2014.