Cleaner and Cheaper: Using the Clean Air Act to Sharply Reduce Carbon Pollution from Existing Power Plants
In the United States, electric power plants emit about 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, or roughly 40 percent of the nation's total emissions.
The EPA has both the authority and responsibility to reduce pollution from these plants under the Clean Air Act, the nation's bedrock air pollution law adopted in 1970. The EPA proposed carbon pollution standards for existing power plants in June, 2014.
NRDC has proposed an effective, affordable and flexible approach to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants under the Clean Air Act that taps into the ingenuity of the states and the private sector.
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2014 Issue Brief Update (PDF)
portable document format
Technical Appendices (.xlsx):
I. Assumptions
II. Reference Case
III. Moderate Case Full EE
IV. Moderate Case Constrained EE
V. Ambitious Case Full EE
VI. Ambitious Case Constrained EE
VII. Ambitious Case Constrained EE PTC
State Carbon Emissions Tool
Transcript of NRDC Press Briefing, May, 28, 2014 (PDF)
What Commentators Are Saying (PDF)
portable document format
Press Release: 2014 Analysis
Audio recording of March 20, 2014 Power Plant Plan Update Press Conference
Presentation: March 2014 Update (PDF)
2012 Issue Brief: Q&A on EPA's Legal Authority to Set "System Based" Carbon Pollution Standards for Existing Power Plants under Clean Air Act Section 111(d) (PDF)
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A ground-breaking Natural Resources Defense Council proposal on how to cut carbon pollution from America's power plants can achieve even greater reductions than previously thought, and at less cost, an updated analysis of NRDC's initial 2012 plan shows.
NRDC's new analysis finds that that 470 to 700 million tons of carbon pollution can be eliminated per year in 2020 compared to 2012 levels, equivalent to the emissions from 95 to 130 million autos. At the same time, the NRDC approach would yield $28 billion to $63 billion in health and environmental benefits that far outweigh the costs of putting first-ever limits on carbon pollution.
By comparison, NRDC's 2012 analysis put those numbers at 270 million tons and $25-60 billion.
The improved outcomes result from updating the 2012 approach to reflect recent trends in the electricity industry, including lower electricity demand than previously expected and reduced costs for wind turbines, and natural gas.
Furthermore, the updated analysis demonstrates there are various paths, not just one, to achieve dramatic reductions in the carbon pollution power plants release through a range of solutions that rely, to varying degrees, on energy efficiency, wind energy, and carbon capture and storage.
NRDC's original power plant carbon reduction proposal, released in December 2012, has been widely seen as a possible model for standards the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is developing as part of the Administration's National Climate Action Plan.
Climate and energy experts at NRDC have shown that the nation can create jobs, grow the economy and curb climate change by going after the largest source of climate-changing pollution: emissions from hundreds of existing power plants.
NRDC's proposal shows how the EPA, in partnership with the states, can set new carbon pollution standards under existing authority in the Clean Air Act that will cut existing power plant emissions 20 to 30 percent by 2020 (relative to 2012 emission levels).
The approach includes an innovative provision that will drive investment in cost-effective energy efficiency, substantially lowering the cost of compliance, lowering electricity bills, and creating thousands of jobs across the country. Further, NRDC's updated analysis shows that the benefits -- in saved lives, reduced illnesses, and climate change avoided -- far outweigh the costs, by $21 billion to $53 billion in 2020.
Having endured recent years where climate change contributed to damaging floods, widespread wildfires, record drought, and superstorm Sandy which cost Americans hundreds of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, we can't afford to wait any longer to act. For the health and welfare of Americans, for the nation's economy, and for the stability of the planet, now is the time to reduce pollution from America's power plants, dramatically increase the energy efficiency of our economy, and reduce the threat of climate change.
We know where the pollution is; now we just have to go get it.
In the United States, electric power plants emit about 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, or roughly 40 percent of the nation's total emissions. The EPA has taken important first steps by setting standards that will cut the carbon pollution from automobiles and trucks nearly in half by 2025 and by proposing standards to limit the carbon pollution from new power plants. Now the EPA is working on tackling the CO2 pollution from hundreds of existing fossil-fueled power plants in the United States.
The EPA has both the authority and responsibility to reduce pollution from these plants under the Clean Air Act, the nation's bedrock air pollution law adopted in 1970. NRDC has crafted an effective and flexible approach to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants that:
uses the legal authority under the Clean Air Act.
recognizes differences in the starting points among states.
charts a path to affordable and effective emissions reductions by tapping into the ingenuity of the states.
provides multiple compliance options, including cleaning up existing power plants, shifting power generation to plants with lower emissions or none at all, expanding renewables, and improving the efficiency of electricity use.
Using the same sophisticated integrated planning model used by the industry and the EPA, NRDC calculated the pollution reductions that would result from the proposed approach -- and the costs and benefits of achieving those reductions.
The updated analysis shows NRDC's approach would cut CO2 pollution from America's power plants by 21 to 31 percent from 2012 levels by 2020, and 25 to 36 percent by 2025. It would deliver benefits in saved lives and damages avoided from climate change that would surpass the cost by as much as $21 billion to $53 billion by 2020. For Americans' health and welfare, for the nation's economy, and for the health of the planet, we can't afford not to curb the carbon pollution from existing power plants.
Global Warming What is global warming? Global warming is the term used to describe the rising of the average temperature on Earth. It has to do with the overall climate of the Earth rather than the weather on any given day. History of Global Temperatures The Earth has gone through changes in temperature before. The Earth has even gone through several ice ages, when the temperature dropped significantly and a lot of the world was covered in ice glaciers. Each time the planet eventually warmed up and melted the ice. Why is global warming important? Even small variations of the planet's average temperature can have a large impact on the environment. For example, the ice ages that occurred generally involved a reduction in the global temperature of around 5°C. Here are few of the things that scientists think may happen as the temperature rises. Some of them are already happening: Glaciers melting - Many glaciers are already melting and shrinking throughout the world. If the temperature increases they will continue to melt. Ocean levels will rise - As the glaciers melt, the ocean levels will rise. This could cause flooding in cities located near the coast. Migration of animals - Animals will migrate to cooler spots as their old habitats get too warm. This could upset the food chain and put some species in danger of extinction. Extreme weather - Some scientists think that warming will fuel more powerful hurricanes as well as more droughts and flooding in different areas of the world. Change in ecosystems - cold weather biomes such as the tundra will shrink, while desserts will continue to expand.
What causes global warming? Global warming is a very complex subject. Some scientists disagree as to what caused the rise in temperatures that occurred during the end of the 20th century. Things that can have an impact on global warming include the natural temperature fluctuations of the planet, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, volcanic eruptions, and increased solar activity. Natural Fluctuations The average temperature of the Earth has changed throughout history. Some of this is due to natural changes in temperature that occur over time due to a large number of variables. Even slight changes in nutrient cycles such as the carbon cycle, the oxygen cycle, and the water cycle likely have an impact on the climate over time. Some scientists think that the current warming trend is just a part of the Earth's natural changes in temperature and it will eventually start to cool again. Greenhouse Gases The reason the Earth isn't a ball of frozen ice is because of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases act like insulation to keep the Earth warm. However, as more and more greenhouse gases get into the atmosphere, the Earth will start to grow warmer. The main greenhouse gases that keep the Earth warm are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. In the past 100 years humans have been the cause of a significant increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide. Every time we drive our cars or use electricity, more carbon dioxide is released into the air. Sun Activity Since all the energy and heat on the Earth comes from the sun, it follows that the sun's activity will have some effect on the temperature of the Earth. The activity of the sun is actually different over time, which can change how much energy actually hits the Earth. Volcanoes When volcanoes erupt they can change the temperature of the entire Earth for a short period of time. This is because their eruptions send large amounts of ash and particles into the atmosphere. This blocks some of the sun's rays from hitting the Earth and can cause the Earth to cool. At the same time, volcanic eruptions emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. What can we do about it? We can't do much about the Earth's natural fluctuations, volcanic eruptions, or the sun's activity, but we can impact the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the air. Many of our everyday activities cause more carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere including driving cars and using electricity. You can help by trying to cut down on the amount of electricity you use as well as how much driving you (or your parents) do. Things like carpooling to events and planting trees can help. Carbon Footprint One way to measure how much carbon dioxide you contribute to the atmosphere is by calculating your carbon footprint. There are a lot of variables to consider including the gas mileage of your family's car and how your local power plant generates its electricity. A lot of the same activities that produce carbon dioxide also cause air pollution, so by lowering your carbon footprint you can help the environment in many ways. Facts About Global Warming It takes lots of data and many years to determine how the average temperature of the Earth is changing. Even then, many scientists disagree on how to interpret the data. Since 1990, worldwide carbon dioxide emissions have risen by over 20 percent. The United Nations formed a group called the International Panel on Climate Change to investigate global warming. One way to reduce carbon dioxide is to use clean renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy. These sources produce much less pollution as well.
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