The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to update a Biden-era regulation to ease burdens on power plants and strengthen the waning electricity grid on Monday.
Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that his agency intends to amend the strict 2024 wastewater rule for steam electric power generating units by proposing to push back the zero-discharge requirement deadlines on power plants, in line with President Donald Trump’s order to “unleash American energy.” The action is the latest in the EPA’s deregulatory spree, which has targeted several Biden-era rules that imposed stringent burdens on power plants.
“Domestic energy production has never been more important than it is now. As our electric grid faces unprecedented load growth, EPA remains committed to promoting reliable, affordable, and domestically-sourced resources — including beautiful, clean coal — to support American manufacturing, job creation, and economic and energy independence,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “We know there are serious concerns about the compliance timelines, and we must consider more realistic options that may prevent the burdensome costs required by the current regulation from hurting American families.” (RELATED: Trump Admin Moves To Blow Up Biden’s Assault On America’s Power Grid)
The 2024 Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) for Steam Electric Power Generating Units places stringent regulations on power plants when it comes to wastewater. Steam electric plants burn fossil fuels like coal or oil to heat water, which generates steam and wastewater that can contain harmful chemicals, and the EPA has determined what levels of these chemicals are safe. Zeldin announced that his agency seeks to amend the most recent rule following a review that flagged it as an undue strain on energy resources.
The 2024 rule has been challenged in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the agency has received two requests for reconsideration from electric utility trade associations, according to the EPA.
In the name of combating climate change, former President Joe Biden’s administration moved to enforce several stringent regulations that are linked to soaring utility costs and a strained electricity grid, according to energy sector experts.
The EPA moved to rollback other stringent Biden and Obama-era power plant rules on June 11, though the rules are currently open to public review.
Deputy EPA Administrator David Fotouhi previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the regulations “would have increased the cost of operating power plants by over $1 billion a year, which would have led directly to higher energy bills for consumers and a less stable grid.”
On his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump declared a national energy emergency, calling for all agencies to aid in allowing for a “reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of energy.”
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