The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to regulate emissions from existing coal-fired power plants could result in creation of a cap-and-trade system on a regional basis.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said that controls on existing plants would be imposed through something similar to the “state implementation plans” that the agency has required to regulate pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The rules are scheduled to be issued next June.
More: The New York Times; Utility Dive; ClimateWire; Bloomberg
Supreme Court Action Possible for GHG Program
The Supreme Court is expected to decide this week whether it will review a lower court ruling that upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas regulations.
Petitioners, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council are asking the court to reverse aspects of an appellate court’s June 2012 ruling that backed EPA’s first rules following the Supreme Court’s landmark Massachusetts v. EPA decision, which instructed the agency to regulate greenhouse gases as harmful pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
More: Greenwire
NRC Has Funds to Operate for 1 Week in Shutdown
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it has enough “carryover” funding to maintain normal operations for at least a week in the event of a government shutdown.
If the shutdown exhausts the agency’s funding, it will retain about 300 of its 3,900 employees, half of them resident inspectors assigned to reactor and fuel facilities, the rest staff who would provide initial response to an emergency at licensed facilities. The NRC Commissioners and Inspector General are exempted from furloughs because they are presidential appointees.
More: NRC
NRC Sets Study of Nuclear Plant Cancer Risk
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has commissioned the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a pilot study of cancer risks for people living around six nuclear plants. The pilot will determine whether to extend the study to other nuclear facilities.
The plants chosen for the pilot are Dresden station in Illinois, Oyster Creek in New Jersey, Big Rock Point in Michigan, Millstone and Haddam Neck in Connecticut and San Onofre in California.
More: The Day
FERC to Retain 48 Workers in Funding Lapse
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will keep 48 of 1,460 employees (3.3%) at work during a government shutdown to “protect life and property.” Most of the employees work in hydroelectric and liquefied natural gas inspections (19), legal and enforcement matters (10) and commission infrastructure (10). Also to be retained are 19 contractors providing building security and information technology support. The five commissioners also are exempted from furlough as presidential appointees.
More: FERC
Obama Seeking New FERC Nominee
A Senate committee aide said the Obama administration is eyeing other candidates to replace Ron Binz as its nominee for chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Binz’ nomination is in doubt after he failed to win support from any Republicans on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) also has said he will vote against Binz.
Co-op Group Disputes Cycling Cost Impacts
The research arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association says frequent cycling of fossil units to accommodate wind and solar power could increase forced outages in such units from about 5% a year to as high as 25%. The group said baseload coal plants will experience “thermal cycle fatigue” after 12 to 18 months of being shut down at night and restarted in the morning.
NRECA released its analysis in response to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study that concluded frequent cycling of fossil units in the Western Interconnection could save about $7 billion a year in fuel costs.
More: Electric Co-op Today
