CLIMATE CHANGE

EPA Region RTOC Meeting

June 18, 2014
1. Third National Climate Assessment

2. EPA Agency-wide and Region 8 

Climate Adaptation Plans 

3. Clean Air Act Section 111d Guidelines 

for Existing Power Plants

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Presentation Outline
•Released on May 6, 2014 - focused on the 

impacts of climate change in the US. 

•Developed by the US Global Change Research 

Program.

•Sectors: water resources, agriculture, land use, 

and rural communities, among others.

•Geographical Areas: Northwest, Southwest, 

Great Plains, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, 

Alaska, Pacific Islands.

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Third National Climate Assessment

Findings:

•Global climate is changing and this is apparent 

across the US in a wide range of observations. 

•The global warming of the past 50 years is 

primarily due to human activities, 

predominantly the burning of fossil fuels.

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Third National Climate Assessment
Findings:

•Some extreme weather and climate events 

have increased in recent decades, and new and 

stronger evidence confirms that many of these 

increases are related to human activities. 

•Human-induced climate change is projected to 

continue, and it will accelerate significantly if 

global emissions of heat-trapping gases 

continue to increase.

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Third National Climate Assessment
Findings:

•Water quality and water supply reliability are 

jeopardized by climate change in a variety of 

ways that affect ecosystems and livelihoods.

•Climate disruptions to agriculture have been 

increasing and are projected to become more 

severe over this century.

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Third National Climate Assessment
Findings:

•Climate change poses particular threats to 

Indigenous Peoples’ health, wellbeing, and 

ways of life.

•Ecosystems and the benefits they provide to 

society are being affected by climate change –

their capacity to buffer the impacts of extreme 

events like fires, floods, and severe storms is 

being overwhelmed.

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Third National Climate Assessment
Findings:

•The “big picture” science has not changed 

substantially.

•There is a better (but not full) understanding of 

the “details” – precipitation, extreme events, 

regional impacts.

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Third National Climate Assessment
Findings:

•There is an improving recognition of 

complexity.

•Recent IPCC documents have expressed a more 

dire situation – there are focused on longer 

term state changes vs. the NCA that is looking 

at what is happening now. 

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Third National Climate Assessment
1. Third National Climate Assessment

2. EPA Agency-wide and Region 8 

Climate Adaptation Plans 

3. Clean Air Act Section 111d Guidelines 

for Existing Power Plants

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Presentation Outline
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

• Agency-Wide Climate Adaptation Plan

• Program Office Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans:

Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM)

Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)

Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)

Office of International and Tribal Affairs

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)

Office of Water (OW)

• All 10 Regional Offices
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Identify climate impacts

Assess how impacts will effect program areas

Identify priority activities 
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Climate Impacts Identified in the R8 Plan:

1. Increased tropospheric ozone pollution

2. Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires

3. Increasing extreme temperatures

4. Increasing heavy precipitation events

5. Increasing drought intensity

6. Increasing risk of floods

7. Increased pest pressure and changing mix of pests
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Tribal Considerations:

• Tribes are particularly vulnerable to the impacts 

of climate change due to the integral nature of 

the environment within their traditional 

lifeways and culture. 

• EPA places a priority on the development of 

adaptation strategies that reduce the impact of 

climate change on tribes.
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Tribal Considerations:

• A formal consultation process was used to 

engage tribes in the development of the EPA’s 

agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan. 

• Tribes identified some of the most pressing 

issues as erosion, temperature change, drought, 

and changes in access to and quality of water.
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Tribal Considerations:

• Tribes recommended the development of tools 

and strategies, data and information, research 

to track the effects of climate change, 

community-level education, and financial 

support. 

• Tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate 

change activities among federal agencies so that 

resources are better leveraged and 

administrative burdens are reduced. 
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Priority Activities: 

Water Air

Environmental Education Agriculture

Environmental Justice Enforcement 

Ecosystem Protection Remediation 

Emergency Preparedness NEPA

Tribal Assistance Pesticides
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Priority Activities Related to Tribal Assistance: 

• Work with tribal partners and other 

organizations to provide climate information, 

and tools and training, that would assist tribes 

in preparing for climate change impacts.

• Embark on a process to include adaptation into 

the tribal grant making function.
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EPA Climate Adaptation Plans

Priority Activities Related to Tribal Assistance: 

• Periodically review and assess emerging 

scientific and TEK understanding on relevant 

climate vulnerabilities and projections, and 

incorporate into programmatic work, as 

appropriate. 
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Climate Adaptation Tools & Resources

EPA’s Tools and Resources Include:

• Climate Ready Water Utilities Toolbox

• Green Infrastructure Initiative

• WaterSense Program

• Community-Based Water Resiliency Initiative

• National Stormwater Calculator
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Climate Adaptation Tools & Resources

Other tools and resources include:

• NOAA - National Integrated Drought Information 

System / US Drought Portal

• USDA Climate Hubs and Drought Monitor

• CDC – Climate and Health Program

• US Forest Service – Climate Change Resource 

Center
1. Third National Climate Assessment

2. EPA Agency-wide and Region 8 

Climate Adaptation Plans 

3. Clean Air Act Section 111d Guidelines 

for Existing Power Plants

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Presentation Outline
Carbon pollution is already causing 

long-lasting changes to our climate 

system, and affecting our health and 

welfare.

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EPA’ Clean Power Plan
EPA’s Clean Power Plan

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Nationwide carbon dioxide (CO2) 

emissions from the power sector will be 

reduced by approximately 30% by 2030 

from 2005 levels.

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EPA’ Clean Power Plan
U.S. Electricity Generation Capacity

in 2013

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Source: VENTYX Velocity Suite
EPA was directed to promulgate 

standards for both new and existing 

power plants using its Clean Air Act 

authority.

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The President’s Climate Action Plan
EPA was also directed to engage 

stakeholders, provide flexibility, build on 

the leadership of states, and continue to 

rely on a range of energy sources.

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The President’s Climate Action Plan
The proposed rule establishes individual state goals 

in lbs/MWh based on a consistent national formula 

- calculated with state-specific information.

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Summary of the Proposal

__________________________________________________________
State Goal Building Blocks

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Building Blocks Examples of State 

Compliance Measures

1. CO2 Emission Reductions in Coal Fleet • Efficiency improvements

• Co-firing with natural gas

• Carbon capture & storage

• Coal retirements

2. Re-Dispatch to Existing Natural Gas 

Combined Cycle (NGCC) Plants

• Utilize existing NGCC units at a higher 

capacity

• New NGCC units

3. Renewable Energy and Nuclear • New renewable energy

• New nuclear energy

• Relicensing of at-risk nuclear facilities

4. Demand-Side Energy Efficiency • Residential, commercial, and industrial energy 

efficiency

• Transmission efficiency
State Goals

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State Interim Goal Final Goal

Colorado 1,159 1,108

Montana 1,882 1,771 

North Dakota 1,817 1,783 

South Dakota 800 741 

Utah * 1,378 1,322 

Wyoming 1,808 1,714 

* Does not include affected facilities in Indian Country.
State Plans

States have broad flexibility to implement 

measures across the power sector to get 

reductions. 

They can rely to on EPA’s building blocks, or on 

other measures. 

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__________________________________________________________
States Have Flexibility

Basis for state goal –

Potential emissions 

pathway reflecting 

EPA’s analysis

 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

 

A state can choose any trajectory 

of emission improvement as long 

as the interim performance goal is 

met on average over 10 years, and 

the final goal is met by 2030

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Carbon emissions from affected power 

plants in an example state

Timing of Power Plant Emission Reductions
Deadline for State Plans

States must submit an initial plan by June 30, 2016

State may request a one year extension for 

individual state plans to June 30, 2017

State may request a two-year extension for multistate plans to June 30, 2018

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What the Plan Means for Tribes 

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A tribe that has one or more affected EGUs located 

in its area of Indian country would have the 

opportunity, but not the obligation, to establish a 

plan under section 111d that establishes standards 

of performance for CO2 emissions from affected 

EGUs. 

The EPA is aware of three coal-fired power plants 

and one natural gas-fired EGU located in Indian 

country. 
What the Plan means for Tribes 

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EPA has the responsibility to establish CAA section 

111(d) plans for areas of Indian country where 

affected sources are located unless the tribe seeks 

to establish a plan itself.

If a tribe does seek and obtains the necessary 

authority to establish a plan itself, it is EPA’s 

intention that the tribe would have flexibility to 

develop a plan tailored to its circumstances, in the 

same manner as a state.
Tribal Points of View 

Some tribes raised concerns about the impact on 

jobs and revenue for their tribes. 

Other tribes expressed concern about the cost of 

water to their communities as a result of increased 

electricity costs.

Yet other tribes raised concerns about the impacts 

of climate change on their communities, resources, 

life ways, and hunting and treaty rights.

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Other Impacts

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Electricity bills down 

8% in 2030

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Monthly Residential Electricity Bills (2011$)

Historical - Converted to 2011$ Base Case Clean Power Plan
Sources of Electricity Generation in 2030

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Coal

31%

Natural Gas

32%

Other Fuel

37%
Next Steps

• The proposed rule and information about how to comment are 

available online at: http://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan

• EPA will hold 4 public hearings the week of July 28th in Denver, 

Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

• There will be a 120-day public comment period on the 

proposal.

• R8 will reach out to diverse external stakeholders to get 

comments on the proposal, as well as EPA Region 8 programs. 

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