Central ND News

BISMARCK – On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced final rulemakings concerning fossil fuel electric generation, a move that has sparked concerns about the stability of the U.S. power grid. These regulations are seen as detrimental to the coal industry and have raised alarms about the future of power generation in America.

Senator Cramer criticized the regulations, stating, “The Biden administration has been infiltrated by radical environmentalists and has outsourced its policy making decisions to them versus the engineers running the grid.” He emphasized the importance of coal, natural gas, and fossil fuels in maintaining a reliable power grid, which he believes the new rules fail to acknowledge.

The rules, which target coal power plants specifically, have been described as impractical and discriminatory by opponents. The regulations include requirements for carbon capture equipment, arbitrary operating limits on natural gas generation, and costly compliance measures for coal plants. Cramer expressed concern that these rules aim to eliminate North Dakota's coal industry to the detriment of American consumers.

The EPA's initiatives, such as the Clean Power Plan 2.0 and the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) rule, have faced criticism for imposing unrealistic standards and unproven technologies on coal power plants. The regulations are viewed as a threat to the stability of the electrical grid, especially with the rapid retirement of baseload generation assets like coal and natural gas plants.

The Biden administration's stance on power generation has raised questions about the future of affordable and reliable energy sources in the country. As the nation grapples with a fragile power grid, the implications of these new rules on the energy sector remain a point of contention among policymakers and industry stakeholders.