The United States power sector must cut carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels under federal regulations unveiled by the Obama administration, according to The Associated Press.
The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal is one of the most significant environmental rules proposed by the United States, and could transform the power sector, which relies on coal for nearly 38 percent of electricity, the AP reported.
Gina McCarthy, EPA administrator, said on Monday the amount of carbon dioxide the proposal would reduce would be more than double the carbon pollution from the entire U.S. power sector in 2012, according to the AP.
"The flexibility of our Clean Power Plan affords states the choices that lead them to a healthier future. Choices that level the playing field, and keep options on the table, not off," McCarthy said in remarks at EPA headquarters on Monday, the AP reported.
The plan came under pre-emptive attack from business groups and many Republican lawmakers as well as Democrats from coal-heavy states like West Virginia before the Obama administration made the announcement, according to the AP.
"We looked at where states are today, and we followed where they're going," McCarthy said, the AP reported. "Each state is different, so each goal and each path can be different."
The 645-page plan may not be out of reach because emissions have already fallen by about 10 by 2013 from 2005, partly due to retirement of coal plants in favor of cleaner-burning natural gas, the AP reported.
The plan gives states multiple options to achieve their emission targets, such as improving power plant heat rates; using more natural gas plants to replace coal plants; ramping up zero-carbon energy, such as solar or nuclear; and increasing energy efficiency, according to the AP.
