Www.fas.org.pdf

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing regulations that would impose new requirements on coal-fired power plants, prompting concerns about costs and potential impact on the nation's economy. The regulations, which include six Clean Air Act rules, two Clean Water Act rules, and one Resource Conservation and Recovery Act rule, are expected to be promulgated over the next 18 months. Critics characterize these rules as a regulatory "train wreck" that would lead to excessive costs, plant retirements, and threaten the reliability of electricity supply. Supporters argue that the regulations would have substantial benefits for public health and the environment, and that decades of regulatory delays and court decisions have led to this point. The report describes nine rules and their potential costs and benefits, noting that some rules may be expensive, while others may have moderate or limited costs. The primary impacts will be on coal-fired plants over 40 years old that lack state-of-the-art pollution controls, which are being replaced by more efficient natural gas plants.