BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The Environmental Protection Agency released new rules requiring fossil fuel power plants to cut emissions to help combat climate change.
The EPA changed four acts aimed at reducing pollution. Now power plants across the county like Minnkota Power Co-op must comply with more regulations.
“We are the ones that take care of the ash so it’s not emitted into the environment. So like, this is kind of big for us because they’re looking at particulate matter and stuff like that. And so it’s just all going to be making it harder for us as a plant to fit the regulations that they have where the regulations that have already are so tight,” said Levi Nelson, Minnkota Power Co-op operator.
He said there will be more infrastructure to manage in the plant, and it will take time to put the new regulations in place.
“Depending on which rule on requiring these things to be installed over the next four to seven years. And this process is hundreds of millions of dollars. The research involved is one of the significant challenges because we see that the current state of technology does not allow compliance the way that the EPA presents it,” said Jason Bohrer, president and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council.
He said he doesn’t oppose more oversight as long as research deems it feasible.
Nelson said he wants to keep providing reliable power.
“As long as we got to keep our jobs and we were able to provide our customers with reliable energy, but when it comes down to the cost of what it’s going to do, and is it going to make sense for our customers to put these into effect,” said Nelson.
Bohrer said if power plants don’t meet the 2032 carbon rule deadline, they would be out of compliance.
“And that’s what our modeling shows is that many of the plants in the country are not going to be able to comply with these, which is going to cause decreasing reliability in the electric grid,” said Bohrer.
Bohrer said full compliance by 2032 is a much shorter reality that power plants can make happen.
“We are evaluating the final rules, and we will most likely end up in court because what we see are fundamental flaws with the EPA process and the text of their rules that is contradictory to what the law requires,” said Bohrer.
Approximately $125 million is contributed to North Dakota through coal mine and power plant tax revenue.
The EPA said these final rules will significantly reduce climate, air, water and land pollution from the power sector, to protect public health, advance environmental justice and confront the climate crisis.
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