Lee Ziesche, lee.ziesche@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Biden administration finalized federal carbon pollution standards for new gas-burning power plants and–for the first time ever–existing coal-burning plants. These critically-needed standards will slash carbon pollution and improve air quality for families and communities across the country.
The EPA estimates the carbon pollution standards will avoid over 1.4 billion metric tons of CO2 pollution through 2047. The rule will also improve air quality by cutting harmful pollutants, including smog- and soot-forming compounds that cause serious lung and heart ailments, as well as hazardous air pollutants like mercury. EPA projects that the standards will deliver up to $370 billion in net climate and public health benefits over the next two-and-a-half decades.
As coal-burning power plants continue to become less reliable and more expensive to operate, monopoly utility Evergy and others have proposed to build out fracked “natural” gas-burning power plants in Kansas, which threaten to become expensive stranded assets as the new carbon pollution and other federal standards are implemented.
“The days of unchecked climate pollution from fossil fuel power plants are numbered in Kansas and across the country,” said Ty Gorman, Senior Kansas Field Organizer for Sierra Club. “These standards are a clear signal to retire polluting and expensive coal plants as soon as possible and to hit the brakes on a costly buildout of gas infrastructure. Kansas has an incredible amount of untapped energy efficiency and solar potential, and we must do everything we can to build as much affordable renewable energy as possible and invest in other critical clean energy solutions like transmission upgrades, storage, and demand flexibility.”
A 159 megawatt solar farm was recently approved to be built in Douglas County, which will effectively double the amount of Kansas solar in one fell swoop.
There are currently five coal-burning power plants still operating in Kansas with nine individual units. Evergy operates seven of the nine coal units, while Sunflower Electric Cooperative and Kansas City Board of Public Utilities each have a coal plant in Holcomb and Kansas City respectively.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.