New EPA Carbon Pollution Rules Emphasize Public Health and Climate Impact

This update affects existing coal plants and new methane gas plants.

April 25, 2024

FLORIDA - Today, the Biden administration finalized federal carbon pollution standards for new gas-fired power plants and-for the first time-existing coal-fired plants. These critically-needed standards will slash carbon pollution and improve air quality for families and communities nationwide.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the carbon pollution standards will avoid 1.4 billion metric tons of CO2 pollution through 2047. The rule will also improve air quality by cutting harmful pollutants, including smog- and soot-forming compounds that cause serious lung and heart ailments, as well as hazardous air pollutants like mercury. EPA projects that the standards will deliver up to $370 billion in net climate and public health benefits over the next two-and-a-half decades.

In Florida, we have many examples of coal-burning power plants that continue to operate even while their risk to health and climate are exponentially greater than all other alternatives. The Coal units are JEA's Northside Generating Station, Tampa Electric's (TECO) unit four of their Big Bend Generating Station, Duke's Crystal River Coal Plant, Seminole's Palatka Coal Plant, and GRU's Deerhaven Coal Plant. The new rule could have similar impacts on proposals by TECO, JEA, and Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) who have planned combined cycle gas plants and peaker gas plants in their future energy mix projections.

These safeguards are part of a series of Biden administration initiatives aimed at reducing air and climate pollution, including measures to limit interstate ozone and soot pollution from coal and gas power plants, methane emissions from oil and gas development, and pollution from heavy-duty trucks and vehicles.

In February, EPA announced the agency would issue a new proposal to reduce carbon pollution and other harmful air emissions from existing gas plants separate from today's final rule, which does not address pollution from gas plants currently in operation.

In response, Brooke Alexander, Clean Energy Organizing Manager for Sierra Club's Florida Chapter released the following statement:

"It's incredibly encouraging to see the Biden Administration unveil a strategy to drastically cut carbon pollution, marking a historic moment for clean energy in the United States. Our power companies will now be empowered to make smarter investments that will help provide cleaner and more reliable electricity to all Floridians. The EPA is taking a critically important step to move us toward a healthier, more habitable Florida for all."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.

coal