LANSING – The state is already on track to meet the carbon emissions standard the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set for power plants, one of the state’s major utilities and environmental groups said Monday.
The EPA has proposed standards that would reduce carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030 from those levels in 2005.
“It’s highly likely that we’ll be able to comply by meeting the goals Governor Snyder set,” Douglas Jester, principal with 5 Lakes Energy, a renewable energy consulting firm, said during a media call by environmental groups.
He said the state’s current plans would allow the state to meet the EPA targets by 2025.
Consumers Energy, in a statement, said it already had a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2025. As part of that, it is planning to close seven coal-fired plants by mid-2016.
“Along with our customers, business and community allies and industry colleagues, we will be carefully reviewing the EPA’s announcement today on energy regulation issues,” the utility said in its statement. “We believe that our balanced energy approach positions us to serve our customers with affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy.”
DTE, in a statement, also said it is reviewing the 645 pages in proposed rules and neither embraced nor criticized the proposal.
“It is very important that DTE continues to make significant progress at reducing our carbon emissions, while at the same time minimizing any financial impact on customers,” the company said. “We know that coal will continue to be an important fuel for electricity production. But, we support new low- and no-carbon generating technologies. DTE is investing nearly $2 billion in renewable energy projects. By the end of this year, we will generate 10 percent of the electricity we provide for our customers in Southeastern Michigan from renewable energy sources.”
Brad Wurfel, DEQ spokesperson, said the department supports the goal the EPA has set, but is still reviewing the proposed rule both to determine what comment the state will submit and to determine what the state’s implementation plan might look like.
“We want to take the time to be sure we don’t impose an undue burden,” he said.
The key advantage of the proposed rule, supporters said, is it allows each state to decide how to meet the standard.
“The EPA rule is designed to allow a state to take a system-wide perspective,” Mr. Jester said. That means not all of the emissions reduction would have to come through additional controls requirements on power plants. “It’s not EPA’s intention to drive sign investment in pollution controls at coal fired power plants,” he said.
The new rules will make the state healthier without costing substantially more for power.
Robert Rafson, owner of Chart House Energy and an environmental engineer, said there were concerns when the Clean Air Act was first enacted that it would increase costs. “Those first few years there was a real worry it was going to have dangerously negative effects,” he said. “The jobs created by the Clean Air Act have actually increased growth. I think this new rule will have the same effect.”
“Setting sensible limits on carbon pollution is extremely critical to the future of natural resources in our state,” Brian Kozminski with the Miller Van Winkle Chapter of Trout Unlimited said.
“I’ve seen firsthand how dangerous carbon pollution can be,” Peggy Coyle, a registered nurse, said. “Breathing polluted air makes people sick.”
The announcement also drew attention in the political world as Republican senatorial candidate Terri Land blasted the announcement.
Land said the proposal is part of President Barack Obama’s “War on Michigan” and defended coal as an energy and jobs source.
“My top priority is Michigan jobs,” she said in a statement. “Today, President Obama released an enormous regulatory attack on coal, which produces 54 percent of Michigan’s electricity. This rule could cost us 224,000 American jobs, shrink our economy by $50 billion a year, and increase monthly electric bills for families and manufacturers for the next 15 years.”
Asked for comment about the proposal, the campaign of Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, said Peters is reviewing it.
This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com
