Dive Brief:
- Coal generators in North Dakota are considering a variety of strategies to meet new federal carbon standards expected to be finalized this summer, but say modern plants are already operating efficiently.
- Coal companies are anxiously mulling a number of advanced technologies to keep their resource viable in electricity generation, including carbon capture, and coal gasification, the Bismark Tribune reports.
- States will submit compliance plans next year to meet new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carbon rules, and North Dakota will need to reduce its CO2 emissions by 11%.
Dive Insight:
All across the country, states are trying to decide how they will comply with new EPA carbon mandates which will be finalized this summer. The Tribune was at the Energy Generation Conference last week and reports coal generators are looking at a host of options, including carbon capture, home efficiency and coal-to-gas conversions, to help meet new mandates.
The EPA has said greater power plant efficiency could help North Dakota meet targets, but some question just how much efficiency can be found in more modern power plants.
Federal regulators have delayed finalizing emissions regulations until summer after the EPA received over 1.6 million comments on rules that would cover existing sources, including over 200 contributions from utilities, regulators, and other public agencies.
When EPA delayed finalizing the regulations in January, acting administrator for air quality Janet McCabe explained “that there are cross-cutting topics that affect the standards for new sources, for modified sources and for existing sources, and we believe it’s essential to consider these overlapping issues in a coordinated fashion."
While the coal industry may hold out hope for carbon capture, many industry observers say gasification is the last, best hope for American coal power, although it's still plagued by high costs and uncertain performance, Utility Dive has reported.
