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The U.S. EPA is poised to begin accepting comments on its first-ever greenhouse gas standards for new power plants, with the ever-controversial regulations expected to be buffeted by industry critics who contend they represent a ban on future coal utilities.
The EPA's solicitation of public comments on its newly proposed greenhouse gas new source performance standards for new power plants follows the planned publication of the rule in the Federal Register on Jan. 8. Comments must be submitted by early March. Also on Jan. 8, the EPA said it will propose to withdraw the original draft greenhouse gas rules that the new proposal will replace. A public hearing on the greenhouse gas rules is scheduled for Jan. 28 in Washington, D.C.
"After consideration of the information provided in more than 2.5 million comments on the proposal, as well as consideration of continuing changes in the electricity sector, the EPA is issuing a new proposal," the EPA said in its Jan. 7 filing. "Today's action proposes to establish separate standards for fossil fuel-fired electric steam generating units (utility boilers and integrated gasification combined cycle units) and for natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines."
The EPA's newly proposed greenhouse gas rules, which were announced Sept. 20, 2013, feature a list of substantial changes from the original draft rule, which had been rolled out by the agency on March 27, 2012. Specifically, in place of a single limit applicable to all affected fossil...