Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that digs into the powers holding back climate action, first reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told nearly 200 remaining coal-fired power plants to step up their game by 2027. They needed to install or upgrade air quality monitoring devices to meet federal guidelines on cutting toxic pollutants like mercury, arsenic, lead, and particulate matter. However, President Donald Trump decided to give some of these plants a break from these stricter Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for two years through executive action, going against President Joe Biden’s efforts to address climate change and improve public health in communities hit by industrial pollution. This exemption affects about a third of all U.S. coal plants.
The move has raised eyebrows and sparked criticism from environmental groups, especially in Louisiana, where three coal-fired plants are still up and running. The state’s biggest electric provider, which owns one coal plant and co-owns another, claims it already meets the current standards and plans to retire its coal-powered generation in the next five years. However, activists are concerned that changes in regulations could heighten health risks for communities near these plants and that promises to close coal facilities might be undone as electricity demand keeps climbing. Emory Hopkins, from the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Louisiana, pointed out the potential challenges ahead: “I’m not really sure why this matters, but we’re looking at a lot more electric demand in the future, mainly from data centers.”
Trump defended his decision by stating that complying with the enhanced MATS rule would burden electric companies with “unattainable” emissions standards, potentially jeopardizing the country’s power supply. The EPA, under Trump’s leadership, now argues that the stricter rule would create “regulatory uncertainty” for many coal plants in the U.S. In response to Trump’s action, the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal utility serving seven states, announced a change in plans to retire coal plants by 2035. The cost of implementing the strengthened MATS rule was estimated at over $790 million over a decade by the EPA. Trump claimed that many coal plants were at risk of closure to meet the standards, which could lead to significant job losses and strain the country’s power grid. In reality, the use of coal for power generation was already declining due to more affordable alternatives like natural gas, wind, and solar energy, with the latter two being preferred for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The article continues to highlight the potential health and environmental benefits of the enhanced MATS rule, emphasizing reductions in mercury and particulate matter emissions. The World Health Organization has warned about the health risks of mercury exposure, even at low levels, while particulate matter poses a significant threat to public health. The changes proposed by the Biden administration aimed to enhance air quality standards and cut down on harmful emissions, benefiting both human health and the climate. Despite these projections, the exemption granted by Trump has stirred concerns among environmental advocates, who fear the negative impact on communities already grappling with pollution. As the debate unfolds, the fate of coal-fired power plants and their environmental implications remain at the center of the discussion.
