U.S. Court of Appeals reviews merits of the Clean Power Plan
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments on Tuesday about the Clean Power Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule placing the first federal carbon pollution limits on national electric power plants.
“The clean-energy train has already left the station in the form of affordable renewable energy already making major carbon pollution reductions today,” CEO of American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Tom Kiernan said. “The Clean Power Plan reasonably builds on these existing trends in the power sector that have allowed many states to reliably and cost-effectively slash carbon pollution at a rapid rate over the last decade through investment in clean sources of electric generation, like wind power. We fully expect the D.C. Circuit to agree that EPA correctly took these facts into account in considering well-established pollution control measures, such as renewable energy, when establishing carbon reduction standards for power plants under the plan.
“As we are confident that the plan will ultimately be upheld by the courts, states only stand to gain by developing cost-effective plans to reduce their carbon emissions, which will deliver better air quality, improved public health, clean energy investment, good-paying jobs, and make meeting inevitable carbon regulations easier, regardless of the fate of the case. Thanks to its combination of low-cost and zero emissions, wind energy remains a primary way for states to reduce carbon emissions, save consumers money and keep the lights on in homes and businesses across the country. Americans can look to states like Colorado where wind energy at times has produced more than 60 percent of its main electricity demand, while benefiting consumers through added economic benefits and hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.”
Advances in wind-power technologies have reduced costs by approximately two-thirds over six years, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA estimates that wind energy could provide a majority of the lowest-cost Clean Power Plan compliance mix.
Wind plants currently offer the same reliability services as conventional power plants. Wind plants have, at times, supplied approximately 45 percent of electricity for the main Texas grid, and approximately 60 percent of the main utility system in Colorado. Some states, including Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas, can reliably produce approximately 20 percent of their electricity power from wind plants. Wind power generates approximately 10 percent of electric power in 10 states, and approximately five percent or more in 20 states. Wind power equaling approximately five percent of the U.S. power grid can reduce approximately five percent of power sector emissions, and it is predicted that an approximately 20 percent wind sourced power would reduce power sector emissions by approximately 20 percent.
AWEA is a member of an unprecedented coalition acting to defend the Clean Power Plan.
