Power sector rips Biden climate proposal

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Edison Electric Institute (EEI), a major lobby for electric companies, is challenging the Biden administration's proposed climate regulations for power plants, especially focusing on the feasibility and affordability of the proposed emission-cutting technologies

🔭 The context: The EPA's new proposal suggests a 90% reduction in emissions from existing coal plants and similar cuts or a transition to hydrogen energy for new and some existing natural gas plants
• The crux of EEI's pushback lies in the deployability, availability, and affordability of the proposed carbon capture and hydrogen energy technologies across the industry

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: The electric sector accounts for a quarter of the U.S.'s contribution to climate change
• Regulations like these can play a significant role in reducing that footprint, but challenges like these from industry stakeholders can influence the pace and direction of these changes

⏭️ What's next: The EPA remains in defense of its proposal, emphasizing its basis on proven and cost-effective technologies
• With the proposal still under consideration, it remains to be seen how these critiques will shape the final regulations

💬 One quote: “Your company has barely a week to decide whether to stand on the right side of history by committing to publicly support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) common-sense standards controlling greenhouse gas pollution from coal and gas power plants” (letter from climate advocates to EEI member companies)

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