An October 27 Wall Street Journal article points to a possible moment of clarity on the regulatory front.
The piece, titled “EPA to Loosen Controls on Power-Plant Pollution,” reports that the Bush Administration will propose to judge power plant by “their hourly rate of emissions rather than their total annual output.”
The Journal noted: “Under current policy, power plants that make upgrades to operate longer and increase emissions must install pollution-control equipment. The proposed rules, which seek to make it easier for older power plants to extend their life span and upgrade without installing costly new equipment, are tied to an hourly rate of emissions. As long as a power plant's hourly emissions stay at or below the plant's historical maximum, the plant would be treated as if it were running more cleanly, even if its total annual emissions increased as plant operators stepped up operations.”
The Bush Administration is pushing to get the rules finalized by November 1, as it would make it harder for them to be undone after more than two months, according to the Journal’s report. Unfortunately, various congressional leaders are opposed, and threatening to launch an investigation.
Why some in Congress would want to stop this change in power-plant regulation is a mystery, especially if one expects government policies to be based on both sound economics and sound environmental policies. After all, this measure would reduce electricity costs, while still providing reasonable environmental protections. Sounds like a good combination.
Raymond J. Keating
Chief Economist
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
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