The fight for cleaner air is heating up, and at the heart of it is a debate over carbon capture technology. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made a big move, setting new rules on April 24 for power plants to cut their carbon emissions. This means many power plants will need to use carbon capture technology.
But not everyone is on board. Some industry groups are saying that capturing and storing CO2 emissions from power plants isn’t practical. They argue that it’s too expensive and takes too much time to set up the infrastructure needed to do it.
Carbon capture technology works by taking CO2 emissions from places like power plants and storing them deep underground. Right now, only one big power plant in the US is using this technology. It’s called W.A. Parish 5-8, and it’s owned by JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp. They’re using the captured gas to help extract oil. Another project in Mississippi was canceled before it even started, causing a lot of doubt about whether carbon capture can really work.
But the EPA says things are changing. They say that new technology and government incentives are making carbon capture more affordable. Plus, companies are already making plans to use carbon capture technology, even without the EPA’s rules.
The EPA estimates that following these new rules could cost the industry between $7.5 billion and $19 billion by 2047. But they also say that the rules could bring big benefits, like preventing millions of tons of CO2 emissions and saving billions of dollars in climate and health costs.
This move by the EPA sends a clear message to power plant operators: the days of polluting the air with carbon are over. However, the biggest impact on reducing emissions will likely come from shutting down coal plants. By 2035, the EPA expects there to be a lot fewer coal plants in the US, and many of the ones left will be using carbon capture technology.
As for natural gas power plants, the EPA expects some to use carbon capture technology, but most won’t. The EPA says it will set rules for existing natural gas plants later.
But not everyone is happy about these rules. Some industry groups say they’re illegal and will make it harder to keep the lights on. They argue that the rules rely too much on technology that’s still in the experimental stage.
Despite the pushback, the EPA is standing firm. They say they’ve added some provisions to the rules to make sure the power grid stays reliable. This includes letting power plants ignore emissions limits during emergencies and giving states more time to meet the rules if there are problems with the power grid.
Overall, it’s clear that the battle over cleaner energy is far from over. With economic, legal, and technical factors at play, the future of power plant emissions is still up in the air. But one thing’s for sure: carbon capture technology is at the center of the conversation.
