Introduction
The United States is a critical country in shaping global issues in matters concerning the environment, politics, democracy, technology, culture and many other issues. Currently, Global warming debates have gained momentum world over, and the US has been on the spot to provide guidance or an example in addressing this critical issue. Besides pressure from the international community, the US has had to respond to numerous challenges powered by carbon emissions. The country's electricity sector contributes the largest portion of carbon emissions followed by transportation, industries and residential places. The state also loses more than $100 billion every decade due to emissions, tens of thousands of jobs are lost annually by failing to grow the renewable energy sector, and more than $50 billion will be saved by 2030 from the healthcare expenditure when the country turns its back to fossil fuels. It is against this background that the US formulated and passed the Clean Air Act in 2015 upon which Clean Power Plan is anchored to reduce carbon emissions from power generation plants and combat global warming.
What industries are impacted by the plan?
The Clean Power Plan is a policy under the federal government to address the power generation industry. It was first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and officially became a policy on August 3, 2015. It aims to combat climate change and global warming especially from the emissions and any other ways through which power plants contribute to the destruction of the environment. The plan has customized plans for states to reduce their carbon emissions which are at the core of reducing global warming. States can address climate change under a flexible framework with the target being to reduce carbon emissions by 32% of the levels recorded in 2005 by the year 2030. The plan shows that the United States is ready and practical in the implementation of efforts to address global warming.
In what way will it improve air quality?
The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants which account for about 40% of the carbon dioxide emissions that the US releases. The US had never again passed legislations to address emissions from power plants which were allowed to release unlimited amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The Clean Power Plan is contained in the Clean Air Act, which is an act of Congress that calls upon EPA to take necessary actions against power plants to safeguard human health from emissions. Although, environmental concerns about in the Clean Power Plan, it is the health effects that portend from a destroyed environment that motivated the passage of the law.
The Clean Power Plan provides some options for states to cut on their carbon emissions. The plans also help states estimate how much reductions can come from each of the options. Some of the options include energy efficiency, investing in renewable energy, nuclear power and natural gas. The plan urges states to away from coal-fired power. The plan also asks states to practice restraint in their use of natural gas which also releases a significant amount of unwanted emissions, but it is not as much or as harmful as the emissions from coal-fired power plants.
The implementation of the clean power plan takes into consideration several issues to ensure success and sustainability. First, there is a consideration of each state's electricity generation resources. There are variations in the costs, feasibility and the potential for reduction of emissions. States have options to combine forces as they go for the best and most sustainable mix of considerations as they aim to lower emissions from their power plants. The states do this by signing regional compacts to help them reduce costs for instance through emissions trading programs. The deadline for the states to submit their plans is September 6, 2016, although EPA may grant an extension of up to 2 years.
The analysis of the plan shows that it is bearing fruits. Already, preliminary investigations show that the states have put in place measures to lower their carbon emissions and have formulated workable strategies to lower the emissions. Financing is coming through well with numerous green banks offering to finance states in their measures to reduce carbon emissions. Research has shown that the expenditure on reducing carbon emissions is equal to the expenditure if things were to remain the same and power was to be produced by burning coal. This shows that states would rather spend on reducing carbon emissions rather than continuing with the traditional methods because there are environmental benefits and economic ones as well with the adoption of renewable energy technologies and other emission-reduction measures.
Several states are on the path to benefiting from the Clean Power Plan. These states include Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico and Pennsylvania and Virginia which have shows that reduced emissions will bring about better health for the people.
Virginia is a good example of the implementation of the Clean Power Plan. In 2014, the state obtained 40% of its power from nuclear power while natural gas contributed 28% of the state's power. Coal contributed 27% of the overall power. However, the state obtained only 2.8% of its power from renewable sources different from hydropower. The US Department of Energy, however, reported that in 2014, Virginia could have derived 48 to 118% of its overall electricity sales from two major renewable sources- Wind and solar. If Virginia exploits the renewable sources, it stands to gain millions of dollars annually by auctioning carbon emission permits. The state could use the money to fight pollution and specifically air pollution which has major effects on global warming and climate change. The money could also be used to address challenges such as coastal flooding, and establishing more renewable energy sources such as biomass.
In the formulation of the Clean Power Plan, the government offered to support the best states in implementing the program. The federal government will offer more investment in clean technologies which will lead to cleaner air for the states. As a consequence, states that implement the plan the best stand to attract more investment.
What are the challenges for controlling carbon emissions?
Some of the challenges include meeting the energy or power demands while shifting from the current energy sources to newer ones that are environment-friendly. For instance, there are risks that natural gas and renewable energies may not satisfy energy demands as the current coal-generated power does. There is also a challenge in improving the efficiencies of energy, given that people will need to change their energy consumption habits. The reliance on some of the renewable energies such as solar cannot be guaranteed since changes in weather and climate may affect the production of energy. There are also challenges in the installation costs which are usually high. However, once the initial costs are met and the plant is installed, the "fuel"-solar or wind energy is free, and one only needs to meet the maintenance costs.
There have been some legal challenges in controlling carbon emissions. Some states and a group of coal companies have been blocking the implementation of the plan. They claim that the plan exceeds EPA’s authority as mandated by the Clean Air Act. However, some 18 states and numerous municipalities and environmental organizations have supported the plan. The challenge with the natural maintenance of low carbon levels is the ease with which plants release the gas back into the atmosphere. Although the gas is used up in the photosynthesis, the plants also release the gas quickly, and when there is the destruction of plants especially trees, there is high retention of carbon dioxide in the air which poses a challenge in its management.
How do you see this plan impacting the design of air pollution controls in the future?
The Clean Power Plan is a fantastic plan for controlling carbon emissions and air pollution in general. The plan will set the pace for other countries to create plans along the same line. Since American is huge and has numerous dynamics and challenges, successful implementation of the CPP will see many other developed and developing countries set up similar plan, and this could see significant reductions in greenhouse gases world over. The plan also stands to bring about massive economic benefits since the renewable energies being adopted in place of fossil fuels are relatively cheaper. The Clean Power Plan holds the key to significant reduction of carbon emissions since it targets power-generation which contributes the largest amounts of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Overall, the CPP speeds up the pace towards national accountability and commitment to addressing air pollution rather than the efforts being made by private entities. The CPP has a bright future, and it is one of the best moves to protect the environment against air pollution.
References
Environmental Defense Fund. (2016). A new national Clean Power Plan. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from https://www.edf.org/climate/a-new-federal-clean-power-plan
Environmental Protection Agency. (2015, February 11). Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/clean-power-plan-existing-power-plants
Lienke, J. (2016, January 22). Obama’s Clean Power Plan survives a legal challenge. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from http://grist.org/article/obamas-clean-power-plan-survives-a-legal-challenge/
Thomas, D. C. (2001). Carbon Management: Implications for R&D in the Chemical Sciences and Technology: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Washington (DC): National Academy Press.
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2016). The Clean Power Plan: A Climate Game Changer. Retrieved May 03, 2016, from http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/reduce-emissions/what-is-the-clean-power-plan#.Vyi0hXpsLIV
