Misty-eyed

10 October 2017 By

His environment agency aims to reverse Obama-era pollution rules, while the energy department wants regulatory changes that favor nuclear and coal power generation. Even if both happen, the closure of a Texas power plant shows the economic and social forces pushing the other way.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt on Oct. 10 issued a notice to repeal the so-called Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era regulation that sought to reduce emissions dramatically. In a statement, Pruitt said the CPP had exceeded the limits of the EPA’s authority and was inconsistent with the Clean Air Act.

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on Sept. 28 sent a letter to the members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposing changes to rules governing the U.S. electrical grid. The proposed rules would help subsidize electricity providers capable of holding a 90-day fuel supply, effectively favoring nuclear and coal plants over, for example, renewable energy.

Luminant, a subsidiary of Vistra Energy, on Oct. 6 said that it would retire its 1,800 megawatt Monticello Power Plant in Titus County, Texas. The plant, in operation for more than 40 years, is one of the largest coal-fired plants in the state.

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