Biden Administration Finalizes Federal Carbon Pollution for Fossil Fuel Power Plants

New EPA Standards Further Undermine the Economic Viability of NTEC

April 25, 2024

Superior, WI - Today, the Biden Administration finalized federal carbon pollution standards for new gas-fired power plants and-for the first time ever-existing coal-fired plants. These critically-needed standards will slash carbon pollution and improve air quality for families and communities across the country. In Superior, these standards further undermine the economic viability of the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC), a 625 MW gas plant proposed by Minnesota Power and Dairyland Power. More information on the EPA's rules can be found here.

Opposition from elected officials and the community on NTEC has rapidly increased. Earlier this month, the Superior City Council denied both Minnesota Power's requests for rezoning the proposed property for NTEC and for street vacation on nearby undeveloped roads, a massive blow to the project.

"Under these new standards, there is more incentive than ever for Dairyland Power and Minnesota Power to move on from NTEC. These rules make the utilities' choice clear: it's time to transition from fossil fuel power plants to clean energy, and their proposed NTEC gas plant has no place in that transition," said Jenna Yeakle, Senior Field Organizer, Sierra Club - North Star Chapter.

"Now is the time to pivot to renewables and storage. Minnesota Power and Dairyland Power have no plan for NTEC to meet these new climate rules. Effectively, this means that NTEC will not be permitted to operate as designed by 2032, just four years after NTEC's supposed start of operations," said Evan Mulholland, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

"The Nemadji gas plant is already obsolete before it's even built. The utilities should cut their losses on this bad investment of ratepayer money and instead, use technologies that can meet their customers' energy needs reliably and at a fraction of the cost, while cleaning up our air and water," said Katie Nekola, Clean Wisconsin.

More Information on the Carbon Pollution Standards

The EPA estimates the carbon pollution standards will avoid approximately 1.38 billion metric tons of CO2 pollution through 2047. This action 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 climate and public health benefits over the next two decades.

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.

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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.