EPA delays proposed carbon pollution standards on existing gas plants in disappointing setback to regulating climate and clean air emissions from the U.S. power sector
Clean Air Task ForceFeb 29
White House Announces Delay of Power Plant Regulation
The Facts
US Pres. Joe Biden's administration said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will delay plans to regulate existing fossil fuel power plants until the end of 2024 or next year.
EPA chief Michael Regan said that while existing gas-powered plants won't be regulated now, it will begin regulating new coal- and natural gas-powered plants in the coming months.
The Spin
Progressive narrative
This is a hypocritical decision on the part of the EPA, which just a week ago determined that its own proposed regulation wouldn't be enough to reach its 2040 emissions goal. Instead of making its rules even more robust, it's decided to play politics with the environment and roll back the already insufficient power plant regulation plan. The Earth is being polluted at dangerous levels, and the only way to fix it is by slashing greenhouse emissions.
Conservative narrative
Someone at the EPA must have finally realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to shut down 60% of the electric grid — which is essentially what would have happened since the original carbon policy was virtually impossible to follow. The EPA may have also noticed that the Biden administration is trying to double the size of the grid through his electric vehicle ambitions, which would ironically require more electric power, not less.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that the US greenhouse gas emissions will be halved by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
