EPA review of safe lead levels for children moves at snail’s pace
Editor:
The natural gas industry in Pennsylvania prioritizes producing energy in safer, cleaner ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2005, the transition to natural gas in the power sector has accounted for more than 60% of carbon dioxide emissions reductions.
Also leading on hydrogen and carbon capture and storage technologies, our industry is tackling the dual challenge of providing affordable, reliable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Despite steady progress, the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed power plant rule could disrupt these trends, given the tight timeline for compliance and outdated permitting processes for building new energy infrastructure.
As is, the rule could discourage new investment and accelerate early retirements of much-needed dispatchable and dependable power generation. More needs to be done to establish clear, timely and consistent permitting processes that would allow infrastructure projects to move forward.
Right now, natural gas accounts for about half of Pennsylvania’s electricity generation.
If these concerns aren’t addressed, the EPA’s proposal could force natural gas plants to close and prevent new ones from coming online, further straining the grid at a time when reliability is already a concern and power demand is expected to increase.
The focus should be on bolstering our energy supply and modernizing permitting processes to ensure the grid has sufficient generation while advancing the development of hydrogen and CCS.
Stephanie Catarino Wissman
Executive Director, American Petroleum Institute Pennsylvania