On March 15, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, proposed the first-ever standards that would require coal-fired power plants to reduce their emissions of toxic air pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, and lead. The public health benefits of limiting these emissions have been well-documented by both scientists and medical professionals. But a lesser-known fact is the proposed rules are expected to create nearly 360,000 jobs and generate almost $200 billion in capital improvements by 2015. These standards are also achievable: 60 percent of all coal-fired boilers that submitted stack test data to the EPA are already achieving the proposed mercury limits.
Please join the Energy Opportunity program of the Center for American Progress for a timely discussion of this proposed rule and its implications for reliable and affordable electricity, job creation, capital investment, and the economy.