Biden Administration Announces Tough New Environmental Rules on US Power Plants, Cutting Carbon Emissions by 75%

The Biden administration has announced new environmental and climate actions aimed at cutting hazardous pollution from US power plants by 75% compared to their peak in 2005. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules will force coal-fired and newly built natural gas generators either to reduce or capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2032, with options for how they meet pollution requirements provided. This is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to cement his climate legacy ahead of the 2024 election while responding to the recent Supreme Court ruling which halted previous power plant rules under former president Donald Trump. The EPA estimates that these new measures will prevent nearly 1.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere by 2047, equivalent to taking over 330 million gas cars off the road for a year. However, some industry stakeholders have criticised the rules and said they were “unlawful, unrealistic, [and] unachievable”. The EPA also announced tougher standards on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants which can harm human health through inhalation or ingestion. Additionally, new wastewater disposal requirements will reduce pollution by almost 600 million pounds annually and loopholes for toxic coal ash are being closed to ensure safe disposal of previously dumped material at unregulated landfill sites.