Sustainable Bioenergy, Farms, and Forests - June 6, 2014

A weekly look at sustainable bioenergy, farm, and forest policy issues

 

 

 

Ultrafine Particles from Vehicles: A Missing Piece in Emissions Regulations

 

On Monday June 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the single largest step to control stationary sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful emissions in the nation’s history. It announced a proposed regulation to cut carbon pollution by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 from existing power plants. According to EPA’s own analysis, the Clean Power Plan will avoid between 3,000 to 7,000 premature deaths and close to 150,000 asthma attacks in children as of 2030. The rule will deliver impressive public health and climate benefits, saving between $55 to $93 billion in healthcare costs in the next 15 years. However, the EPA has many additional harmful emissions to address – including ultrafine emissions from vehicles.

 

 

EPA Biogenic Carbon Language Encouraging – Senate Coalition in Support

 

As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out its existing source performance standards for coal-fired power plants Monday, under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, the biomass energy sector searched for clues as to how the agency will choose to address the complexities of modeling the emissions from biomass power, referred to as biogenic carbon. Broadly, the EPA’s Clean Power Plan will mandate a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels, and allows for flexibility within state implementation plans. Options available to states include energy-efficiency programs, renewable energy standards, co-firing, transmission efficiencies, retirements, and others. It is critical to establish sustainable biomass energy as one solution available to states in lowering their overall carbon intensity.

 

To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at jstolark[at]eesi.org

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