On Monday, President Obama and EPA administrator Gina McCarthy officially unveiled the final version of the administration’s Clean Power Plan, a set of regulations that call for stricter greenhouse gas cuts from power plants than originally planned.
While the original plan unveiled last year set a target of reducing carbon dioxide pollution levels by 30 percent over the next 15 years, the final version of the plan requires a 32 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2030 – but only for power plants. Emissions from all pollution sources (cars and other vehicles included) are set to be reduced between 26 and 28 percent over that span.
The plan calls for 28 percent of the country’s energy to come from renewable sources (up from 22 percent in the original proposal) by 2030, and it establishes a Clean Energy Incentive Program that will reward states for investing in early adoption of renewable, clean energy sources.
“There is such a thing as being too late when it comes to climate change,” the President said at a Monday afternoon White House event announcing the new rules, the Wall Street Journal noted. He also said that the plan, which was in the works for more than two years, was the “single most important step America has taken in the fight against global climate change.”
However, House Speaker John Boehner told reporters, “Instead of being a shining achievement for his legacy, this will be remembered as another irresponsible policy that makes it even harder for Americans to provide for their families and reach the American dream.”
Health benefits of reduced emissions touted
According to the Obama administration, the Clean Power Plan establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants, which they claim is the largest source of carbon emissions in the US. They state that the act will reduce premature deaths from emissions originating from power plants by nearly 90 percent in 2030 compared to 2005.
Furthermore, the President and the EPA said that the plan will reduce the pollutants contributing to asthma-causing soot and smog by more than 70 percent. In all, they believe that it will reduce premature deaths by 3,600; reduce asthma attacks in children by 90,000; and prevent as many as 300,000 missed work and school days, according to their Clean Power Plan fact sheet.
Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association, told reporters that the final plan “reflects the progress we as a nation are making to reduce pollution from power plants and marks a tremendous step forward in the fight against climate change. [We] will work with states to maximize the immediate health benefits from power plant cleanup.”
Debate over whether or not the plan will reduce energy bills
The Obama administration’s fact sheet also states that the Clean Power Plan will let each state develop and implement their own plans to meet the mandated emissions standards, requiring a plan to be submitted by September 2016. However, states needing more time are allowed to ask for an extension of up to two years, with the compliance period starting in 2022.
Officials also claim that the bill will spur on “aggressive investment” in clean energy technology, resulting in a 30 percent increase in power generation from those sources. They also claim that it will save the average US family almost $85 on their annual energy bill in 2030.
Not everyone is thrilled about the new regulations, however. As the AP reported on Monday, even though the Obama administration is claiming that the average US family will see a lower energy bill, power companies themselves are skeptical about those claims. Organizations such as the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, the American Energy Alliance, the National Mining Association, and others claim that the rules will actually increase electricity bills.
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