Energy advocates warn that the Biden administration’s new regulations for power plants, announced Thursday, will hurt American energy jobs and put an already straining electric grid at even greater risk.
“This is completely out of touch with reality,” Trisha Curtis, CEO of energy consultant PetroNerds, told InsideSources. “It’s almost as though they’re wishing the American manufacturer, American producer, and American consumer to materially decline economically and to not be able to compete.”
The sweeping new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will require all existing coal-fired plants and new natural gas-powered plants to capture 90 percent of their carbon emissions. An additional rule ordered coal-fired plants to reduce mercury emissions by 67 percent. For plants that use lignite (aka brown coal), mercury emissions must be reduced by 70 percent.
The rules exempt natural gas-powered plants currently operating in the U.S. but will apply to future natural gas facilities. The EPA estimates its new regulations will reduce carbon emissions by 1.38 billion metric tons through 2047.
The downside is the rules will almost certainly mean less investment in natural gas power generation at a time when the push to electrification is straining the ability of the grid to meet demand.
“Low cost and reliable energy is arguably needed now more than ever,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Callahan. “America’s natural gas sector is capable and ready to meet these critical demands, but we can only do so if the government prioritizes consumer and economic solutions instead of misguided policies that only please the radical environmental agenda.”
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that the United States runs on natural gas. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said that it generated more than 43 percent of the country’s electricity last year. A hodgepodge of renewable energy sources rank a distant second at 21.4 percent.
America led the world in natural gas exports in 2023 sending out 20.9 billion cubic feet per day to other countries. A 2023 study found that the natural gas sector contributed $41 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and supported 123,000 jobs.
U.S. carbon emissions have been declining for years, and faster than other regions like the EU and Asia. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, which supports the new Biden emission regulations, said U.S. energy sector emissions declined 36 percent from 2005 through 2021. They credit the switch from coal to natural gas for the drop.
PJM Interconnection, which operates the power grid for 13 states along the Atlantic coast and the Midwest and Washington, DC, reported last month that their carbon emissions dropped 43 percent from 2005 to 2023. All while energy demand increased.
Demand shot up across the nation as tech companies opened up data centers. It’s projected that U.S. data centers will each require more than 30 gigawatts of energy by 2029. Some data centers are expected to require as much power as it typically takes to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
While it’s good for the economy, said Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO of America’s Power, that means more energy capacity is needed, not less. “Already, utilities have announced plans to shut down more than 60,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation over the next five years. These retiring power plants could power either 600 data centers or more than 60 million homes,” she said.
Other energy groups criticized the EPA for caring about politics more than practical guidelines.
“We are disappointed that the agency did not address the concerns we raised about carbon capture and storage,” said Edison Electric Institute president and CEO Dan Brouillette. He does not believe the technology will be ready for full-scale use by 2032 when the regulations are set to go into effect.
The Biden EPA appears to have ignored warnings from power grid operators.
PJM said if coal and natural gas plants keep being shut down at the White House’s preferred pace, states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, and Ohio could face blackouts by 2028. And rural areas are the most vulnerable to power shortages.
“It undermines electric reliability and poses grave consequences for an already-stressed electric grid,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Chief Executive Jim Matheson told The Wall Street Journal, calling the rules unachievable.
Progressive activists, on the other hand, want the Biden administration to do even more.
“The regulations are clear-eyed about the science: to stop the climate crisis and save lives, we must move off fossil fuels,” said Sunrise Communication Director Steve O’Hanlon. “Biden can keep building trust with young people by declaring a climate emergency and rejecting new fossil fuel projects in the coming months.”
Republicans were troubled by the new regulations. They accused Biden and Democrats of waging a war on energy to win progressive votes.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has said she’ll introduce legislation to overturn the new carbon rules.
The new EPA regulations will likely end up in federal court, and there’s no guarantee they will survive. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Obama-era power plant emissions regulations.
Taylor Millard writes about politics and public policy.
Reprinted with Permission from DC Journal – By Taylor Millard
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
The above article is completely correct in terms of details and the follow-on economic impact from the new regulations. The cost of electricity and heating in this country will continue to rise towards matching the levels that are now normal across the EU. Just look at the current results to the economies of most of western Europe to see America’s future under Democrat leadership. American citizens will, like their European counterparts, then of course experience the add-on inflation and lower standard of living aspects of these ludicrous policies produce. Just watch the news from all across Europe on the many Internet sites that exist to see what our future will be under many of the same so-called green regulations that have existed in western Europe for over a decade.
The Democrat Party, America’s Socialist and Marxist Party, is doing everything they can to destroy as much of the country as possible, as fast as possible. What a shame we, as a people, simply allow this all to done. China, Russia and Iran are all smiling ear to ear as Team Biden and the Democrats are doing much of their work for them. Who would have thought taking down the United States of America would have been so easy?
Everything the dem party does, without exception, weakens the country. These arent wooly headed mistakes. This is a deliberate attempt to cripple the energy supply and thus raise prices. They want to diminish then destroy those who have scraped together an asset portfolio. We are to become serfs. For proof, consider that the dems refuse to allow nuclear power into the equation. They dont want cheap and abundant energy. If fusion was just around the corner they would sabotage it. They have a dark vision of lordship over us.
This is what happens when Congress allows the unelected agencies to pass laws.
Just another example of how every Joebama policy FUBARs our country. His campaign slogan should be “Death to America.”
My question is how can ANYONE be so ill informed, ignorant and just plain stupid enough to vote for Biden and these communist Democrats? It baffles the mind.
Again we need Trump back in the WH to cut the legs from under the EPA; or get rid of it altogether.
Democrats are brain washed idiots, they have lost touch with reality, have no common sense.
Obama did the same thing when he was in office he put companies out of business that I used to deal with. We need to get rid of the Democrats and get Trump back in to fix things. People in America better wake up it’s a Democrats get in another 4 years we are sunk for good. Or maybe the Lord will come and get us out of here.
Too bad NY is missing out on natural gas in southern tier, all the revenue and jobs that they could have had. Blame NY government
The Dems wnat the electric utilities to go bankrupt so they can take em over…..
Democrats will do anything they can to destroy this country. They are nothing but a gigantic dumpster fire. I don’t as much as they do and why they and why they hate middle class people. They are the party of wealthy people and Marxism. Anything they can do to destroy this country they will do. Then they spend the rest of their time blaming somebody else and trying to get reelected
New Biden EPA Rules Will Kill Jobs, Endanger GridYup that’s what they want alright.
The left ruins everything it touches. I stole that from Dennis Prager. Plants love carbon dioxide, they use it to grow and they give us oxygen to breathe in return.
“It’s almost as though they’re wishing the American manufacturer, American producer, and American consumer to materially decline economically and to not be able to compete.”
No if about it. That is exactly what the o’biden regime hopes to accomplish.
We are switching from coal to gas. In Europe they are eliminating gas completely. Everything has to be electric. Why are we still behind? Or is this just a plan to put the fossil fuel industry out of business. After that the gasindustrie. Since ole Joe claims to have had oil cancer from the oil wells in his home state of Delaware. Or should we chalk this story up to his crazy imagination where he is fighting corn pop and his uncle is eaten by cannibals? Myself I think it is neither. He just hates the oil industry and is busy destroying the industry and America with it.
Socialist Democrats are murders and sorry pieces of sh*t! I am no longer going to be polite or even try to be a little political! Democrats are enemies of America!
In the HVAC industry, the EPA is forcing gas furnaces to be replaced by heat pumps, putting even more of a strain on the electric grid. Also, the EPA has banned production of HVAC equipment using R410a, the non-ozone depleting refrigerant that replaced R22, along with all other non-ozone depleting HFC refrigerants. The replacement refrigerants are all flammable, forcing states to change building codes and fire codes to now allow such refrigerants to be used.
Things being forced on us by the EPA make no sense, are driving the costs of HVAC systems much higher and are much less safe.
AMAC publishes some very good content that can be used on all the social platforms to try to communicate, to any leftists / progressives / liberals who might stumble across it, what the Dems are doing to destroy everything. They will not see it on any of their typical sources. Just copy the address and craft your own intro. Who knows, it might help some of them to see the light.
When and where exactly did officially EPA declare that CO2 is a “pollutant”??? Cuz I’m not finding that… Or, did they just use the terms “carbon emissions”, “carbon dioxide”, and “carbon pollution” interchangeably, so they figure we won’t notice and therefore they don’t have to formally declare CO2 a pollutant???
You hear that Gov Whitmer and Michigan Democrat? Your setting us up for failure with y our forced Green New Deal Sham.
Successful nations ensure continuous access to multiple energy sources. America’s energy demands are increasing yet the government seeks to decrease energy availability. This wacky policy is at odds with America’s best interests. If you disagree, then ask yourself why China is expanding energy capacity at a break neck pace while our president is intent on contracting energy availability.
I tell the socialists in my daily contact, that the Democrats have become a front for Marxism and they just laugh. They counter with arguments such as “A little socialism is not Marxism.” and ” All of the people deserve to have equal access to food, shelter, clothing and health care.” And my personal favorite liberal claim, ” The rich don’t deserve what they have, they should be taxed on a fair share basis. “… fair share…”? Who determines what’s fair?
What is lost on all liberals is the expectation that all competent, and healthy adults should earn their own way in life without Nanny State help. OK, this is the thing, liberals progressives, Marxists and communists are all peas in the same socialist pod. They all believe that it is a good thing for the government to take from those who willingly work, and give to those who would not.
Few liberals understand, and the ones who do, don’t care about the fact that the government has no money of its own. Every dime of the money use for social programs comes from the individual wage earner. Even the taxes that the big corporations pay are derived from the money that their customers pay for products and services.
All governments need money to operate but the ones that exact taxes for government programs that give money to individuals, are socialist by definition. The liberals say that “A little bit of socialism is fine, why are you being so misery?” Interpretation: You will be taxed extra so the Democrats and RINOs can buy votes with government “freebies”.
All governments are expected to assist those who are crippled mentally, or physically. No just government should give the heard earned taxes of a wage earner to a laggard who could work but chooses not to. And the jobs are taken by the illegal aliens who will work for serf-like compensation, compensation that is huge compared to what they could earn in their third world home country. And guess what? The working aliens earn so little that they still qualify for government welfare support. And all of this falls on the shoulders of the American wage earner who pays more taxes than he should, just to finance socialist programs.
ALL of our current political controversies boil down to one thing, the struggle between those that believe in individual success, and those that look for a free ride though life. Individual success means that one can pay for the food shelter, clothing and health care insurance policy that he desires.
you cant have prosperity W/O affordable & reliable energy
Right on point,more destruction of America compliments of joebama and the hateful, anti American marxist democrat party!
WAKE UP CITIZENS
THROW THEM OUT!!
Biden and Soros are determined to drive our economy off a cliff, resulting in more Americans becoming dependent on the federal government. November cannot come fast enough.
Biden hates America, anyone that can’t see it should seek mental help
To weaken a grid and not support experts is a signal of something else. The problem is it doesn’t make since. The continuation in allowing power to be depleted, with the grid, electric cars, threatens the sustainability of resources. This leaves us compromised to outside forces. Like the boarder. Change means replacing the problem. There are better solutions, time to step up.
those progressive activists need to focus on china and india. USA has already done its fair share.
Let’s see. We destroy our power plants, destroy energy production, fully adopt the green energy agenda and move everyone into 15 minute cities. Then we all convert to solar and sell the excess energy back to the energy companies, but how will they make money? Has anyone thought this through? I just can’t keep up. I think I like it better the way it is now.
We need practical governance. We certainly do not have it now.
I have read so many articles debunking the climate change narrative it is obvious that this is a political football in the same league as the Covid hysteria narrative. All the progressive institutions are fully captured, dissent or debate is condemned, and the propaganda is pumped into our society and especially into our children non-stop. They switched “global warming” to “climate change”, and now every weather event is somehow connected to it. The only solution to “climate change” is radical “government change”!
AHHHHH The good ole EPA, created under our 2nd worst president Jimmy Carter. Kyle L.
Anything Biden does hurts Americans and their economic situations.
Building back worse.
EPA needs to set limits on the spew that comes from POTUS and Democrats–their pollution is worse than the power plants.
That is a heck of a lot of
The “Democrats” have been the ones pushing solar and wind, though those are far too intermittent for utility-scale power, and not cost-effective.
That’s no excuse to upcharge for power and strangle our domestic production… though, of course, our “President” is challenged in technical and economic matters.
Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of every issue, since day 1 of his wasted Presidency.
Anything he can do to damage America. Could we expect anything less from this administration
Just review his list of “Executive Actions” he signed when took office. We are seeing the results of his magic pen to bypass congress and make proclamations like a king would
He’s doing exactly what George Soros and the foreign controllers of the Federal Reserve Bank want him to do to destroy this once great Nation. And the dumbmasses don’t have a clue and fall fir all the lies from the bought and paid for scientists.
This is another reason to get him OUT of office!! Even democrats must enjoy affordable electricity!
FJB
Just another step towards NWO
Anything Brandon can do to make things worse!
do you think he cares about anyone losing their jobs – he only cares about himself – that has been apparent the past 4 years!!!! he’s a disaster, a drain and a danger to America
The Democrats are trying to destroy the economy of this country. They are doing a damn good with the help of uninformed moron voters. Very sad!
I truly believe that Biden is trying to destroy this country and he is doing a good job of doing that.While he is at it he is destroying his own party.
I don’t understand: HOW, WHY is this destructive _____ making laws from “white house”, when he’s been correctly accused, & impeachment proceedings have rightly been leveled against him. “Nevermind” the FACT Laws in U.S.A. are made in HOUSE & SENATE, NOT in “white house”. 🙁 !
Though votes and political power are all the “democrats” are ever interested in, it is heartening to know what an unskilled statesman “President” Biden is for speaking so clearly of his intentions to create national crises before engaging. He certainly does let us know just how badly he intends to harm us, our economy, our families, and our futures, so…. in that sense, I’m glad to have an enemy of the people who’s stupid and tactless enough to truly come down the ladder of abstraction and explain his heinous intentions.
Thanks Joe… and you are quite an imbecile!!
Does he do birthday parties?
First the trade agreements designed to export jobs. Now the crushing EPA rules to stifle what industry we have left. One thing missing is the requirement that imported goods meet the same rules for manufacture. That will all but dry up available imports. Might change a few minds. In any case what use is it to the so-called climate emergency to kill the US economy and boost foreign economy? The pollution from most foreign sources is worse!