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U.S. seeks to cut carbon pollution from power plants by 30 percent: EPA

03 June 2014 02:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The U.S. government unveiled a new proposal on Monday aimed at cutting carbon emissions from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the country, by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a statement the proposal would cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more than 25 percent as a co-benefit, and shrink electricity bills roughly 8 percent by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system.

The U.S. agency also estimated that up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in children, and up to 490, 000 missed work or school days could be avoided in 2030, thereby providing up to 93 billion U.S. dollars in climate and public health benefits.

"By leveraging cleaner energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and healthy future for our kids," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said.

"We don't have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment -- our action will sharpen America's competitive edge, spur innovation, and create jobs," McCarthy said.

Power plants account for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. While there are limits in place for the level of arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle pollution that power plants can emit, there are currently no national limits on carbon pollution levels, the EPA said.

According to the EPA, the proposal, called the Clean Power Plan, provides guidelines for states to develop plans to meet state- specific goals to reduce carbon pollution and gives them the flexibility to design a program that makes the most sense for their unique situation.

"States can choose the right mix of generation using diverse fuels, energy efficiency and demand-side management to meet the goals and their own needs," the EPA said.

The proposal "allows them to work alone to develop individual plans or to work together with other states to develop multi-state plans," it said.

Also included in Monday's proposal is a flexible timeline for U. S. states to follow for submitting plans to the EPA. Plans are due in June 2016, with the option to use a two-step process for submitting final plans if more time is needed.

The new proposal is considered as centerpiece of President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan, which was issued one year ago with the aim of addressing climate change without legislation from Congress.

"It's the most important action available to cut US emissions," Andrew Steer, president of Washington-based World Resources Institute, a non-profit organization that focuses on global environmental issues, said in a statement.

"These standards will catalyze additional investment in America 's clean energy industry ... studies show consumers save two to five dollars for every one dollar invested in energy efficiency," he said.

The EPA said it will accept comment on the proposal for 120 days and will hold four public hearings on the proposed Clean Power Plan during the week of July 28 in Denver, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Pittsburgh. Based on this input, it will finalize standards next June following the schedule laid out in a June 2013 Presidential Memorandum.