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House Resolves to Overturn EPA’s “Waters of the U.S.” Rule

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution to overturn the “Waters of the U.S.” rule issued last year by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association praised the resolution, as coops nationwide have expressed concern over the rule’s dramatic expansion of federal regulation of waterways.

NRECA Suggests Changes to Clean Power Plan’s “Safety Valve”

The NRECA filed a petition on December 21 requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include a more robust “safety valve” in its Clean Power Plan to allow power providers relief from emissions standards in the event that those standards will have adverse effects on reliability.  The EPA’s plan does include a “safety valve,” but the current structure may be insufficient...

Congress Votes against EPA Clean Power Plan

The House and Senate each approved resolutions of disapproval regarding the EPA Clean Power Plan.  The President is expected to veto the resolutions.  The Clean Power Plan becomes law December 22, 2015.

U.S. Senate Passes Resolutions to Repeal Clean Power Plan

The United States Senate has approved two resolutions that express formal congressional disapproval of two rules promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency limiting carbon emissions from new and existing power plants, including the controversial Clean Power Plan.  The White House has threatened to veto the resolutions in recent policy statements.

Coops Challenge Clean Power Plan

NRECA and dozens of electric cooperatives have filed suit challenging the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (Plan).  The Plan was published in the Federal Register and, therefore, became open to legal challenge on October 23 and is set to take effect on December 23.

Settlement Reached Capping Utah Plant’s Coal Consumption

The Environmental Protection Agency, Deseret Power Electric Cooperative and the Sierra Club and WildEarth Guardians reached a settlement regarding the 500-megawatt Bonanza Power Plant in northeast Utah.  The settlement calls for new pollution controls to be installed while being subjecting the plant to an eventual lifetime limit on the plant’s coal consumption.  Deseret has...

6th Circuit Issues Stay Regarding EPA Water Rule

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (6th Circuit) issued a stay on October 9 regarding the Waters of the United States rule of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The stay will remain in effect until the 6th Circuit has decided whether it has jurisdiction over the challenge to the regulations brought by states, utilities and other...

EPA Finalized New Power Plant Wastewater Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule setting a limit on the amount of toxic metals in power plant wastewater.  Current regulations have been in place since 1982, and the EPA asserts that these regulations do not adequately address the presence of toxic metals in power plant wastewater.  The new regulations will not apply to power plants that are smaller than...

EPA’s Clean Power Plan Could Hurt Electric Coops

The Clean Power Plan of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls for existing power plants to slash their greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. This reduction could force rural electric cooperatives to prematurely close their coal-fired power plants, creating a multibillion-dollar debt for the nonprofit electricity providers. (Subscription...

Tri-State Fights EPA MATS Rule for Colorado Facility

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) has renewed its attempt to suspend the April 2016 compliance deadline under the Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) rule for the 110-MW Nucla Station.  Tri-State has asked the D.C. Circuit to suspend the compliance deadline, arguing that EPA must provide an evaluation of whether the rule is justified.  To read more, please...

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