On Oct. 31, ABC submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Affordable Clean Energy proposed rule, officially titled Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guideline Implementing Regulations; Revisions to New Source Review Program. If finalized, the ACE rule would replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan with revised emissions guidelines, propose new regulations to direct both EPA and the states on the implementation of emission guidelines and revise the New Source Review program. 

In its comments, ABC expressed its support for the proposal, stating that the EPA has taken a more reasonable approach to addressing carbon emissions while supporting businesses and jobs and ensuring necessary and essential environmental protections in our communities. The ACE rule maintains an “inside-of-the-fence” approach that provides a list of “candidate technologies” for states to evaluate for existing coal-fired power plants and promotes investment to ensure cleaner, more efficient power plants. The approach is critical to an effective, all-of-the-above energy policy that ABC supports.

ABC is also pleased that the EPA continues to work towards repeal the Obama-era CPP, which would have imposed strict regulations on coal-fired power plants and was widely opposed by the construction industry. The CPP was stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court and has never been in effect. On Jan. 16, ABC submitted comments in support of the EPA’s proposal to repeal the 2015 final rule.

For more information on the ACE proposal, see the EPA website.