Earlier today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new power plants, which requires any new power plant being built to emit no more than 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour. This effectively prohibits the construction of new coal power plants unless they install carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which has not yet been developed on a commercial scale. According to this article, the International Energy Agency doesn’t expect CCS technology to be routinely used by power generators until 2030. The new, unattainable NSPS limit takes a stable and affordable source of energy off the table by preventing the construction of new coal fuel power plants. This puts greater burdens on manufacturers in North Carolina and will result in higher priced electricity.

In a joint press release with the NC Chamber, National Association of Manufacturers’ President Jay Timmons stated, “Manufacturers ultimately will be hit twice by EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations, both as users of the energy being regulated and as industries considered “next in line” to receive similar regulations from EPA for their own plants. The decisions the EPA makes in these regulations—such as mandating technologies that are not yet commercially feasible—will have far-reaching consequences not only on our energy supply but also on the operations of all manufacturers.”.