# EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Power Plant Management and Generation Summit

Atlanta, GA October 27, 2014 Dr. Kenneth Mitchell U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Atlanta, GA

# U.S. GHG Pollution

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### President’s June 2013 Directive to EPA: 

### Develop carbon pollution standards, regulations or guidelines, as appropriate, for: 1. New power plants • Proposed January 8, 2014 2. Modified and reconstructed power plants • Proposed June 2014 • Final June 2015 3. Existing power plants • Proposed Guidelines June 2014 • Final Guidelines June 2015 • State Plans due June 2016 

## GHG NSPS Requirements for Fossil Fuel - Fired Power Plants

http://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan
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### This proposal will:
• Reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants, for which there are currently no national limits
• Maintain an affordable, reliable energy system and will help m ove us toward a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations
• By 2030, reduce nationwide carbon dioxide emissions, from the power sector by approximately 30% from 2005 levels, with significant reductions to begin by 2020
• Cut hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful particle pollution, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides as a co - benefit • Proposal will avoid an estimated 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths and 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks in 2030 • Provide important health protections to the most vulnerable, such as children and older Americans
• Lead to health and climate benefits worth an estimated $55 billion to $93 billion in 2030
• From soot and smog reductions alone, for every dollar invested through the Clean Power Plan - - American families will see up to $7 in health benefits 4 

# Summary - 111(d) Existing Power Plant Proposal

# EPA Establishes a Goal for Every State

• EPA analyzed the practical and affordable strategies that states and utilities are already using to lower carbon pollution from the power sector

• Proposed goals are based on a consistent national formula , calculated with state and regional specific information

• Each state goal is expressed as a rate (pounds of CO 2 

### per MWh ) – a statewide number 

### for the future carbon intensity of covered existing fossil -fuel -fired power plants in a state

• The state rate goal is calculated to account for the mix of power sources in each state and the 

### application of four “building blocks” that make up the best system of emission reduction

• States will need to meet an interim goal and a final goal 5Building Block Strategy EPA Used to Calculate the State Goal Maximum Flexibility: Examples of State Compliance Measures 1. Make fossil fuel -fired power plants more efficient Efficiency Improvements • Efficiency improvements • Co -firing or switching to natural gas • Coal retirements • Retrofit carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) 2. Use lower- emitting power sources more Dispatch changes to existing natural gas combined cycle (CC) • Dispatch changes to existing natural gas CC 3. Build more zero/lowemitting energy sources Renewable Energy Certain Nuclear • New NGCC • Renewables • Nuclear (new and up rate) • New coal with CCS 4. Use electricity more efficiently Demand -side energy efficiency programs • Demand -side energy efficiency programs • Transmission efficiency improvements • Energy storage 6

## After Proposal, Coal & Natural Gas Remain Leading Sources



## of Electricity Generation

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### Each more than 30% of projected generation in 2030 

## Coal 31% Natural Gas 32% Other Fuel 37%

# Next Steps
• The proposed rule, as well as information about how to comment and supporting technical information, are available 

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

• EPA held 4 public hearings the week of July 28th 

## in Denver , Atlanta , Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. – over 2,700 people 

## attended

• Comments are due December 1, 2014

• Comments on the proposal should be identified by Docket ID Number: EPA- HQ-OAR-2013-0602 8