The US government will propose introducing a new regulation that would force power plants to reduce or capture almost all of their CO2 emissions by 2040. This is what three anonymous sources with knowledge of the plans told The New York Times.
According to the newspaper, it will be the first time ever that the US government has specifically limited CO2 emissions from existing power plants.
The plans, which will also apply to future power plants, specifically aim to set upper limits on how much power plants are allowed to emit. Gas power plants can do this, for example, by switching their energy source to green hydrogen.
But it could also mean that power plants will make greater use of CO2 capture - also known as "carbon capture". It involves capturing CO2 at the emitters' chimneys, preventing it from ending up in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.
Plans will face opposition
Power plants account for 25 percent of the United States' total CO2 emissions. According to The New York Times, fewer than 20 of the 3,400 power plants in the United States today use the technology, which is considered expensive and unproven. Fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum accounted for 60 percent of electricity in the United States in 2022.
According to the newspaper, President Joe Biden's plans are sure to be met with opposition from the fossil fuel industry and its allies in Congress. However, he has recently said he is prepared to use his executive power to force through climate regulation.
The proposal, which has not been officially presented yet and could still be changed, comes on the heels of other recent comprehensive climate plans from the US government.
Earlier in April, the administration proposed plans that could see two out of three new passenger cars sold in the US by 2032 be electric.
/ritzau/
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