Brandon Farris, vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), argued in a statement released May 11 that proposed emissions regulation is impractical as it would necessitate rapid deployment of underdeveloped technologies or shutting down over half of the country's power plants, thus posing a serious risk to the economy and energy security, despite recent improvements in manufacturing sustainability and power generation.
“Manufacturing in America is cleaner and more sustainable than ever, and the power generation sector has been making historic strides in bringing zero-emissions sources online. Even as that trend continues, this proposed regulation will prove unfeasible,” Farris said in the statement. “With nearly 60% of our nation’s energy generated from natural gas and coal, this will either require deployment of still nascent technologies at an impractical pace or force those plants to shut down entirely. With the many threats to global energy security, that is a grave risk to our economy and to our families. The U.S. cannot afford to shut down more than half of our power generation and grind our economy to a halt.
"The NAM looks forward to working with the administration to ensure emissions standards protect public health while allowing manufacturers to continue pioneering technologies to make our air even cleaner and our climate even healthier.”
In a recent development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal and gas-fired power plants on May 11. The proposed measures, which align with the EPA's historic Clean Air Act, call for significant carbon pollution reductions.
According to a report by Oxford Economics, commissioned by NAM, the EPA's proposed air quality regulations for particulate matter (PM2.5) could risk $162.4-$197.4 billion of economic activity and jeopardize 852,100 to 973,900 jobs, directly and indirectly. The report also suggests that constraints on growth in certain areas could lead to a potential loss of $138.4 billion in output and 501,000 jobs through 2027.
The latest proposals set to take effect from 2030 will gradually introduce stricter CO2 emission controls for fossil fuel-fired power plants, particularly those that operate more frequently and over a longer duration. The proposed standards, which progressively tighten over time, vary based on factors such as the type of unit – whether new or existing, combustion turbine or utility boiler, and coal-fired or natural gas-fired – along with the frequency of its operation (base load, intermediate load, or low load (peaking)) and its operating horizon, denoting planned operation beyond certain future dates.
