Tough new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down

By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency would force power plants fueled by coal or natural gas to capture smokestack emissions or shut down. The new limits unveiled Thursday on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-powered electric plants are the Biden administration’s most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector. The rules are a key part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide by 2050. The power plant rule was among four measures announced by EPA that target coal and gas plants. The EPA said the rules would encourage a “transition to a clean energy economy.″