CLIMATE & AIR QUALITY

Pollution Travel Routes in Eastern U.S. (texaselectricity.com)

New EPA ruling threatens Texas electricity market - What amounts to ‘common sense’ clean air standards in Washington may not seem so sensible to millions of Texans that will be adversely affected by the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest ruling aimed at reducing air pollution…It’s called the “Cross-State Air Pollution Rule”, developed to resolve out-of-control air pollution that not only affects the states who are producing the pollution, but unfairly harms other communities as it travels across the country.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...I'm sure everyone heard about this when it was first announced. The EPA has told Texas power plants (among others) to clean up their acts, specifically, coal-burning plants, in an attempt to clear the air in eastern states. According to the EPA report, toxins in the air in the eastern U.S. can be traced back to coal-burning power plants as far west as Texas. The problem, and source of the outcry from Texas, is that the new rule imposes limits that cannot be met in the time frame suggested (enforcement begins January 2012) without serious financial burdens to the power producers (to upgrade/replace facilities) or plant closings and massive layoffs . The most likely result, barring concessions from the EPA, will be plant closings, which officials fear will result in rolling blackouts statewide as remaining plants will not be able to meet ever-increasing demand.

From the article:

“No community should have to bear the burden of another community’s polluters…”

–EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson

“Today’s EPA announcement is another example of heavy-handed and misguided action from Washington, D.C., that threatens Texas jobs and families and puts at risk the reliable and affordable electricity our state needs to succeed.”

-Texas Governor Rick Perry

This is a tough issue to discuss because I can certainly appreciate both sides, especially in today's economic climate. As a person concerned with keeping the air we breathe clean and minimizing our impact on our environment, I am glad the EPA is taking steps to address these issues, and they appear to be serious about it. On the other hand, I enjoy paying less for reliable energy when I need it (before you skewer me, I must admit my concern for the environment ultimately trumps my frugality). Coal-burning power plants are a double-edged sword. They produce the cheapest electricity with the most pollution, slashing prices to the consumer while wreaking havoc on our physical surroundings. And Texas has plenty of them. Regardless of whether the EPA ruling is right or wrong, one thing has become clear. The need for efficient, reliable, and environmentally-sensitive energy sources is greater than ever. I know Texas power companies have begun exploring, encouraging, and implementing alternative energy sources - wind turbines, solar arrays, etc. - but we all know those systems are a long way from being ready to support the large loads that our great state demands. Hopefully, those efforts will soon outpace demand. Otherwise, my wife might actually have to let me light some of those decorative candles.