EPA says it has met with 600 groups on CO2 rule

The Environmental Protection Agency says it has met with about 600 groups while working on standards for CO2 emissions from existing power plants.

The agency has meet with about 300 groups since releasing its Clean Power Plan proposal on 2 June, in addition to more than 300 groups before its release, EPA said on 10 October in a blog post on its web site.

The agency posted two lists of groups it has met with – one for before the proposal's release and one for 2 June to 15 September – to discuss the regulations. The groups range from utility companies to environmental organizations to state regulators. The list covers direct meetings as well as conference calls and webinars EPA has held in recent weeks, but it does not include public hearings the agency held this summer.

EPA said it released the lists to counter critics who "continue to push a flawed, cherry-picked narrative" that ignores the agency's outreach efforts.

Among the utilities that EPA says it met with after 2 June are American Electric Power, Duke Energy, OGE Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Xcel Energy.

Several other utilities, including Luminant, MidAmerican Energy and Southern Co., are listed as meeting with EPA prior to the proposal's release.

The proposal calls for setting CO2 emissions rate targets for each state, except Vermont, to meet by 2030. EPA says the standards will result in about a 30pc reduction in the sector's emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. The proposal would allow states to use a broad range of measures to meet the targets, including emissions trading, more renewable energy and energy efficiency.

EPA is accepting public comment on the proposal until 1 December. EPA says it has already received more than 1mn comments.

mb/ee

Send comments to feedback@argusmedia.com

If you would like to review other ArgusMedia.com content options, request more information about Argus' energy news, data and analysis services.

Copyright © 2014 Argus Media Ltd - www.ArgusMedia.com - All rights reserved.