On October 23, 2015, EPA finalized emission standards for new coal-fired power plants under Section 111(b) of the Clean Air. The rule was intended to achieve reductions in pollution by setting emissions standards based on the level of emissions achievable by the best system of emission reduction. In late 2018, EPA proposed amendments that would weaken the 2015 Rule significantly.

On March 18, 2019, a group of Emmett Institute faculty submitted a comment letter on behalf of experts in the operations of the U.S. electricity grid, opposing EPA’s proposal to weaken these pollution standards. They argue that the EPA’s proposed weakening is not justified by the record and would not, as EPA claims, improve grid reliability.

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