President Barack Obama and Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy are releasing a final version of the Clean Power Plan today, the first national standards to cut carbon pollution from power plants.
The regulations require power plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Carbon dioxide is among the leading causes of climate change, and Obama has said that fighting climate change is as central to his legacy as the Affordable Care Act. The plan also requires power plants use more renewable sources of energy, including wind and solar.
Industry groups and coal companies, and coal producing states including Wyoming and West Virginia have vowed to challenge the rules.
Stephanie Joyce, of contributor Inside Energy is based in Wyoming, talks with Here & Now’s Robin Young about the Clean Power Plan and what it might mean for the coal industry.
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Related:2030 power plant emissions target, by state via Inside Energy:
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Related: What Do Your State’s Emissions Look Like via the World Resources Institute
Guest
- Stephanie Joyce, energy and natural resources reporter at Wyoming Public Media and Inside Energy. She tweets @stephaniemjoyce.
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