The EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas limits on new power plants will not be as strict as initially proposed, but will still effectively prohibit the construction of new coal-fired plants, according to news reports.
Plants burning natural gas reportedly will be permitted to emit about 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour, easily within reach of modern plants. Coal-fired plants would be limited to 1,400 pounds per MWh, requiring carbon capture, a technology not yet commercially viable. The American Public Power Association is asking the White House for a looser limit on coal plants, calling a standard requiring carbon capture “unrealistic.” The rules are expected to be released this week. More: The New York Times; The Washington Post; The Hill
Unusual Public Battle over FERC Nominee
Threatened by federal policies, the coal industry has opened a counterattack by opposing President Obama’s nomination of a renewable electricity advocate to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Senate Energy Committee is expected to hold a hearing today on the nomination of Ronald J. Binz. The fight over Binz has been unusually public, considering that the job at stake is at an agency most people cannot name. Environmental groups have rushed to Binz’s defense. More: The New York Times
GOP Amendment on Efficiency Bill Would Block EPA Carbon Regulations
A bipartisan energy efficiency bill on the Senate floor is fast becoming a magnet for politically controversial amendments on climate change and ObamaCare. The bill contains measures to boost building codes, train workers in energy efficient building technologies, help manufacturers become more efficient and bolster conservation efforts at federal agencies. More: The Hill; E2 Wire
White House May Loosen Rules on Eagle-Turbine Collisions
The White House is considering whether to loosen rules limiting the number of eagle deaths permitted from wind turbines. A new study reported that turbines killed at least 67 golden and bald eagles in the last five years. More: Associated Press
Upton Foe Campaigning on Climate Change
A political science professor is focusing on climate change in a longshot bid to unseat Rep. Fred Upton (R), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. More: E&E Daily
EIA Low-Balling Renewable Growth: Green Groups
Green energy and environmental groups say the Energy Information Administration’s closely watched “Annual Energy Outlook” is using “unreasonably low” renewable power growth forecasts that could inhibit investment in the industry. The groups notes that the EIA’s 2013 annual outlook projects renewables’ share of U.S. electricity will grow from 13% percent in 2011 to 16% in 2040. But a separate EIA report in August showed that renewables had reached 14.2% of net generation during the first six months of 2013. “It seems highly implausible that it will now take another 27 years to grow from 14.2% to 16%,” the groups said in a letter to the agency last week. More: The Hill
Ex-Senator Imagines Attack on Grid in New Novel
Former U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) says his new novel, which envisions a cyberattack that takes out the North American power grid, is based on real concerns about the vulnerability of the system. “‘Glass jaw’ is a pretty good description of the grid system,” Dorgan said. More than 200 utilities and government agencies are expected to participate in the largest emergency drill to test the electricity sector’s preparation for a cyberattack. The drill, scheduled for November, will simulate an attack that takes down large sections of the power grid for weeks. More: The New York Times
