EPA to Roll Back Coal Restrictions with the New Affordable Clean Energy Rule

The latest move by the Trump Administration to roll back the former President Obama’s Clean Power Plan will limit the restrictions on the coal industry.

The new Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule gives the states the authority to regulate power plant’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

With this rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is aiming to improve the business of the recently ailing coal-fired power plants in the country. 

“Today we are fulfilling the president’s agenda. We are proposing a (plan) that promotes affordable, clean and reliable energy for all Americans,” said Andrew Wheeler, the EPA Chief to reporters on Tuesday.

He also condemned the Clean Power Plan and said that “exceeded the agency’s legal authority” and that it was ” overly prescriptive and burdensome.” 

His statements have been in line with the Trump administration’s initiative to “end the war on coal.”

“America is blessed with extraordinary energy abundance, including more than 250 years worth of beautiful clean coal. We have ended the war on coal, and will continue to work to promote American energy dominance!” tweeted President Trump back in May. 

“The Clean Power Plan rule was finalized in 2015, mainly targeting coal-fired power plants that account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. But it remains on hold under a Supreme Court stay pending the outcome of the legal challenge from the states,” writes USA Today. 

The Obama era plan required that existing coal-fired power plants decrease their emissions drastically. The plan set a lofty restriction that by 2030, plants would restrict 32 percent for carbon, 90 percent for sulfur dioxide and 72 percent for nitrogen oxides. 

Wheeler argued that this would lead to “double-digit” increases in electricity prices for consumers. 

“The entire Obama administration plan was centered around doing away with coal,” said Wheeler. 

But in October of last year, the then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt rolled back the Clean Power Plan as part of the Trump administration’s plan to revive the coal industry. 

Democratic lawmakers and liberal were quick to condemn the rule. 

California Gov. Jerry Brown went as far as to say that it is “a declaration of war against America and all of humanity.”

“With today’s Dirty Power Plan proposal, the Trump EPA once again proves that it cares more about extending the lives of old coal plants rather than saving the lives of the American people,” said Conrad Schneider, advocacy director of the Clean Air Task Force.

EPA did warn that the proposed rule will have a negative impact on humans.

“As compared to the standards of performance that it replaces… implementing the proposed rule is expected to increase emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and increase the level of emissions of certain pollutants in the atmosphere that adversely affect human health,” said the EPA. 

Author’s note: Trump is making good on one of his campaign promises. It’s also a smart move to do right before he campaigns for the GOP for the midterm elections. The EPA under Obama was so overly strict on coal that its tough to say whether it was in the best interest of the country or was just part of the Democrat’s campaign propaganda. A strategy of maximum energy production is good for the U.S., not only does it keep prices down but it makes the Middle Eastern terrorist countries weaker and will help to reduce our trade debt.