Brayton Point is one of New England’s largest fossil-fueled generating facilities. Each year coal accounts for less and less of power generation as utilities switch to natural gas.
The Republican Leadership of the House of Representatives brought a bill [H.R. 3826] to the House Floor that cancels the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to address carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. The House approved the measure with a vote of 229 to 183. (See EPA Sets Strict Carbon Pollution Limits for New Powerplants)
This latest example of the power of money in the Congress is a setback for citizens. In 2009, EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans’ health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment. The Senate controlled by Democrats will likely refuse to act on the bill.
The regulation the Republicans are opposing says that new large natural gas-fired turbines would need to meet a limit of 1,000 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour, while new small natural gas-fired turbines would need to meet a limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour. New coal-fired units would need to meet a limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour, and would have the option to meet a somewhat tighter limit if they choose to average emissions over multiple years.
On average, a coal powerplant emits 1,768 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour. Coal is responsible for more than 35% of U.S. power generation. Natural gas powerplants emit 800-850 pounds, and have been the favored technology used when companies build new plants.
