US EPA Proposes Groundbreaking Limits on Power Plant Emissions.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, which could prevent up to 617 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next two decades. The new rules would require new and existing power plants to meet a range of new standards to cut their emissions of planet-heating gases, spurring facilities to switch to cleaner energy such as wind and solar, install rarely used carbon capture technology or shut down entirely. The EPA predicts the new climate rule will have $85bn in climate and public health benefits by 2042, preventing about 1,300 premature deaths and 300,000 severe asthma attacks in 2030 alone by reducing harmful air pollutants.