Delta Institute does not support this Administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule as it does not benefit communities or landscapes in the Midwest. The rule will contribute to an increase in carbon dioxide while negatively impacting our health, weather, landscapes, and infrastructure. The rule was submitted into the federal register today and is now open to public comment for 60 days. We encourage folks to read up on this, and submit their comments that move forward an agenda that improves the environment, economy, and communities of the Midwest.
Read more here: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule
This rule change won’t reverse the decline of the United States’ coal industry, nor does it assist in communities dealing with coal plant closures. While it does encourage aging coal-fired plants to make minor efficiency improvements to keep them running longer, that is just slowing down our transition to a new energy economy. The rule also allows states to relax pollution rules for power plants that need upgrades, creating an even more unfair playing field in our energy infrastructure with low income and rural communities getting stuck with a disproportionate burden of the negative environmental and economic impacts.
Coal plants contribute to significant levels of pollution that can have a negative impact on the health of residents. Instead of encouraging communities to continue economic dependency on coal, through early planning communities can choose to transition to a new, more diversified economy while decreasing levels of pollution and improving their health.
Learn more about Delta Institute’s work with coal communities:
In Transition: Stories from Coal Plant Communities
Coal Plant Redevelopment Roadmap: A Guide for Communities in Transition