At the signing ceremony for the new power plant regulations Monday morning, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the 30% emission reduction would be “like cancelling out annual carbon pollution from two-thirds of all cars and trucks in America.” Cushman says the total saving would add up to 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. But the electric power industry “has already cut its carbon emissions by more than 10% since 2005, thanks to slackening demand and ample supplies of affordable natural gas,” he writes. “And with more coal plants scheduled for closing, it may not be that difficult for it to meet the EPA’s goals. By the time these rules are made final, the nation may be almost halfway to the target.”
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