EPA Introduces First Greenhouse-Gas Limits for Power Plants The
Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first limits on
greenhouse-gas emissions from U.S. power plants, the largest
source of carbon dioxide linked to climate change. The rules
will permit emissions from new power plants at 1,000 pounds of
carbon dioxide per megawatt hour, about the level for a modern
natural-gas plant, the EPA said today in an e-mailed statement.
The limit would effectively preclude construction of new coal-
fired plants, which are struggling to compete with decade-low
natural gas prices. “This is an important common-sense step
towards tackling the ongoing threat of climate change,” Lisa
Jackson, administrator of the EPA, told reporters today. “We
build on where the industry is going and lock that trend in,
which we believe is an important signal for investors.” The
proposed nationwide standard is the first of its kind issued by
the EPA for carbon dioxide. With the failure of Congress to cut
carbon emissions, agency actions