This article originally appeared on the Saporta Report in October, 2015.
On August 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Clean Power Plan (CPP). The CPP limits carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil-fuel power plants. While the CPP is only one component of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, it stands out as an historic climate initiative.
Fossil-fuel power plants are the largest source of U.S. CO2 emissions. They cannot easily switch to producing low-carbon electricity. Achieving the goals of the CPP will require greater energy efficiency and the production of new low-emission and emission-free energy.
The final CPP was released after 14 months of review and revision that included more than 4.3 million public comments. For Georgia, significant changes resulted, including a new formula crediting the electricity from nuclear units under construction at Plant Vogtle. Georgia’s carbon reduction goal became less stringent than originally proposed.
There is still a challenge to meet Georgia’s goal. That challenge is an opportunity to build the clean energy economy that is well underway in Georgia. The CPP provides a compelling case for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy in our state.
Read the full story on the Saporta Report.
