Listening Session to Be Held in Chicago, Ill.

WASHINGTON - On October 1, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public hearing on the proposed Affordable Clean Energy proposal in Chicago, Ill. The proposal would replace the prior administration’s Power Plan (CPP), which many have criticized as overly prescriptive and burdensome, with an approach that empowers states, promotes energy independence, and facilitates economic growth and job creation. Specifically, the ACE Rule establishes emission guidelines for states to use when developing plans to limit greenhouse gas emissions at their power plants.

• WHAT: Public hearing on the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) proposal
• WHEN: Monday, October 1, 2018
• WHERE: Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois

The hearing will convene at 9 am local time and conclude at 8 pm or until everyone has had a chance to speak. All persons wanting to speak are encouraged to register in advance. Registration information will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule.

Oral comments and supporting information presented at the public hearing will be considered with the same weight as written statements and supporting information submitted during the public comment period. Written comments must be received by the last day of the comment period, which is Oct. 31, 2018. Comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355 and may be submitted by one of the methods listed on the ACE proposal: How to Comment web page (https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/affordable-clean-energy-rule-proposal-how-comment).

Background

The proposal will work to reduce GHG emissions through four main actions:

1. ACE defines the “best system of emission reduction” (BSER) for existing power plants as on-site, heat-rate efficiency improvements;
2. ACE provides states with a list of “candidate technologies” that can be used to establish standards of performance and be incorporated into their state plans;
3. ACE updates the New Source Review (NSR) permitting program to further encourage efficiency improvements at existing power plants; and
4. ACE aligns regulations under CAA section 111(d) to give states adequate time and flexibility to develop their state plans.

Key findings from the regulatory impact analysis include the following:

• EPA projects that replacing the CPP with the proposal could provide $400 million in annual net benefits.
• The ACE Rule would reduce the compliance burden by up to $400 million per year when compared to CPP.
• All four scenarios find that the proposal will reduce CO2 emissions from their current level.
• EPA estimates that the ACE Rule could reduce 2030 CO2 emissions by up to 1.5% from projected levels without the CPP –  the equivalent of taking 5.3 million cars off the road. Further, these illustrative scenarios suggest that when states have fully implemented the proposal, U.S. power sector CO2 emissions could be 33% to 34% below 2005 levels