GHG Emissions, Regulation, Regulation  -  December 20, 2016

EPA abandons work on Clean Power Plan guidance

The U.S. EPA announced Dec. 19 that it has stopped work on model rules associated with the Clean Power Plan intended to help states chart paths to compliance with the rule. 

Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation within the EPA said in a blog post that instead of working to finalize the model rules, which outline pathways to adopting a trading system, making it easy for states and power plants to use emissions trading to reduce carbon pollution under the Clean Power Plan, the EPA has released them, alongside work on other clean power guidance, in draft form to the public. 

The announcement comes as the proposed Clean Power Plan, currently tied up in the courts, is considered by many to be on life support pending the incoming administration of president-elect Donald Trump. Trump has previously called climate change a hoax, and promised during his campaign to withdraw U.S. support of the Paris climate agreement and dismantle the Clean Power Plan. 

McCabe wrote for the EPA: 

Today, we are withdrawing the draft Model Rules and accompanying draft documents from interagency review and are making working drafts of them available to the public. While these drafts are not final and we are not required to release them at this time, making them available now allows us to share our work to date and to respond to the states that have requested information prior to the end of the Administration. We believe that the work we have done so far may be useful at this time to the states, stakeholders and members of the public who are considering or are already implementing policies and programs that would cut carbon pollution from the power sector.

Along with the draft trading rules for greenhouse gas emissions from power generation projects, the documents released by the EPA also include guidance for demand-side energy efficiency. 

Read These Related Articles:

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• Post-hearing, Clean Power Plan deliberation begins
• Supreme Court stays Clean Power Plan, uncertainty reigns after Justice Scalia's death