A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to exclude energy efficiency projects, pollution control projects, and reliability projects from the definition of a modification.

Bill: 115-s-2760
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2018-04-26
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air quality

Climate change and greenhouse gases

Electric power generation and transmission

Energy efficiency and conservation

Industrial facilities
Latest action: action_date: 2018-04-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-04-26
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill amends the Clean Air Act to exclude energy efficiency projects, pollution control projects, and reliability projects from the new source review process (requiring stationary sources of air pollution to get approval before construction or modification).</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2760 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 26, 2018 Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Clean Air Act to exclude energy efficiency projects, pollution control projects, and reliability projects from the definition of a modification.

1. Exclusion of energy efficiency proj­ects, pollution control projects, and reliability projects from the definition of a modification Section 111(a)(4) of the Clean Air Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7411(a)(4) ) is amended— (1) by striking (4) The term modification means and inserting the following: (4) Modification (A) In general The term modification means ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (B) Exclusion The term modification does not include any energy efficiency project, pollution control project, or reliability project. (C) Associated definitions For purposes of subparagraph (B): (i) Energy efficiency project The term energy efficiency project means any project or activity undertaken at a stationary source (including any physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, the stationary source) or any group of projects, activities, or changes undertaken during the same outage period— (I) as a result of which the maximum hourly carbon dioxide emissions rate of the stationary source is lower than that rate was immediately before the project or activity, or the group of projects, activities, or changes, was undertaken; and (II) after which the maximum hourly emission rate for any other regulated pollutant is not more than either the facility-wide or unit-specific permitted emission rate. (ii) Pollution control project The term pollution control project means any project or activity undertaken at a stationary source (including any physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, the stationary source) or any group of projects, activities, or changes undertaken during the same outage period, that is undertaken to reduce the emission of any pollutant. (iii) Reliability project The term reliability project means any project or activity undertaken at a stationary source (including any physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, the stationary source) or any group of projects, activities, or changes undertaken during the same outage period, that improves the ability of the electric system— (I) to supply the aggregate electric power and energy requirements of electricity consumers at all times, taking into account scheduled and reasonably expected unscheduled outages of system components; and (II) to withstand sudden disturbances, such as electric short circuits, the unanticipated loss of system components, or disturbances caused by manmade physical or cyber attacks. .