WASHINGTON, DC - If someone set out to deliberately kill the American economy, you couldn’t go much further than the demented bag of oatmeal in the White House. After killing the American petroleum industry, Biden set his sights on the coal industry. Given the economic impact such a move would have on a swing state like Pennsylvania and Ohio, one must wonder exactly what old “Scranton Joe” is up to.
This week, the Biden administration announced new rules (not legislation) targeting carbon, air, and water pollution emanated by power plants, Reuters reports. They claim they could cut over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2047.
This is another step in Biden’s mission to fight “climate change,” despite the fact the United States has already drastically cut its CO2 emissions. The electricity sector is responsible for about 25% of U.S. “greenhouse gas pollution,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“EPA is cutting pollution while ensuring that power companies can make smart investments and continue to deliver reliable electricity for all Americans,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
The move comes as Biden is also forcing Americans to abandon gasoline-powered vehicles, which will put an enormous strain on an already overburdened electric grid.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, fossil fuels currently account for 60% of the energy source for US power plants. Of that number, 43.1% is generated by natural gas, and 16.2% by coal. Nuclear, one of the cleanest and most reliable electricity sources, accounts for 18.6%. In sum, 78.6% of American electricity generation is from those three sources, all of which have been targeted for elimination by so-called “progressives.”
Under the new rules, coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired generators will be required to install emissions-capturing technology over the coming decade, which will ostensibly block emissions from reaching the atmosphere. That requirement, which will be extremely expensive, is designed to force electric utilities to move toward renewable sources like solar and wind.
While environmental wackos praised the new rules, some conservatives slammed the proposal, calling it an “unjustified attempt” to destroy the fossil fuel industry.
“The age of unbridled climate pollution from power plants is over,” said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Conversely, Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.V.), the top Republican on the Senate Environment Committee, said she will introduce a resolution to gut the rules.
‘President Biden has inexplicably doubled down on his plans to shut down the backbone of America’s electric grid through unachievable regulatory mandates,” she said.
The administration is trying to run several economy-killing environmental initiatives before May 22, 2024, when they will not be subject to the Congressional Review Act, which enables a new Congress to nullify recently enacted regulations with a simple majority.
The U.S.'s move away from coal-powered electric plants will likely have a negligible effect since China, India, and Indonesia are currently building dozens of coal-powered plants. Of those under construction, China is building 136.24 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired electric generation plants, India is building 31.6 GW, and Indonesia is building 14.5 GW, according to Reuters. In sum, China has six times more coal-fired power plants under construction than the rest of the world combined.
As of 2022, the coal industry employed 4,492 Pennsylvanians, 12,997 West Virginians, 4,815 in Kentucky, and 4,794 in Wyoming. In sum, over 43,000 Americans are directly employed in the coal industry.
Of those states, West Virginia and Wyoming are red states, while Pennsylvania is considered a “swing” state, although it has gone for the Democrats in recent elections. Still, Biden's promise to gut an important state industry only six months before the 2024 general election isn’t a bright idea.
Since 2005, the U.S. has decreased carbon emissions by 17.2%. However, for environmentalists, that isn’t enough. In 2023, China produced 12.7 billion metric tons of emissions annually, over double that of the U.S., which stood at about 5.9 billion metric tons annually. In terms of proportion, China accounts for 32% of carbon emissions, the U.S. for 14%, and India for 8%, according to USA Today.
Comments
2024-05-01T15:18+0530 | Comment by: Joseph
Coal has many pollutants in it such as various heavy metals and sulfur but CO2 is not one of them. CO2 is 0.00044 of one percent of the environment, necessary for photosynthesis ie all of life and we need more of it. Plant growth seems to max at 2000 ppm CO2 and we are only at 440 ppm. Coal can be burned clean, and an excellent source of CO2. The sun is responsible for the earth’s temperature, not man, and water is overwhelmingly the major greenhouse gas and as such is the earth’s natural insulation making life possible. With ten years of post graduate education in the bio-medical sciences, I am confused as to how Greta and Kerry’s lack of intellectual authority carry’s any weight. i.e. Greta and Kerry.