The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 decision to rescind the Obama-era Clean Power Plan that reduced carbon dioxide emissions 32% by 2030 has led to a legislative push in some states to promote keeping coal-fired plants on line, an industry analyst says.
The vacuum on the federal level to take action on climate change or promote transition to clean energy, and President Donald Trump’s support of coal, also has emboldened states to take action to protect coal-fired plants, Ben Inskeep, an analyst with EQ Research told ENR.