EPA’s McCabe Presentation of Clean Power Plan published in EUEC JOURNAL
U.S. EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe detailed the main elements and focus areas of the Clean Power Plan at the 18th Annual Energy Utility and Environment Conference (EUEC), February 16, 2015 in San Diego, California.Keynote panel from left-right: Rear Admiral (Ret.) Len Hering, Center for Sustainable Energy; Dr. Barry Wallerstein, South Coast AQMD; Warner Baxter, Ameren; and Janet McCabe, U.S. EPA San Diego, California (PRWEB) May 06, 2015 The main elements and focus areas of the Clean Power Plan presented by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, Janet McCabe, at EUEC 2015 in San Diego, California, was published in the EUEC Journal by Dr. Prabhu Dayal, Chairman, EUEC. “The article on EPA’s keynote presentation at EUEC will be the first part of a series of publications in the EUEC Journal. The second part of this series will address the keynote response from the utility industry to the Clean Power Plan,” stated Dr. Dayal. “We are very fortunate to have top officials from EPA speak at EUEC for five years in a row. Janet McCabe addressed EUEC both in 2014 and 2015, while EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was the keynote speaker at the EUEC annual meetings in 2011, 2012 and 2013,” he added. In the Clean Power Plan article published in the EUEC Journal, EPA’s McCabe stressed the reliance on a strong federal-state partnership, which recognizes the progress states, cities and businesses have already made. EPA intends to build on ongoing efforts to ensure reliable, affordable energy is available to all Americans and provide flexible compliance options and ample time for states and the power sector to develop implementation plans. The article identifies EPA’s proposal to cut energy waste and leverage cleaner energy sources in two ways: first, set achievable, enforceable state goals to cut carbon pollution per megawatt hour of electricity generated; and second, lay out a national framework that gives states the flexibility to chart their own, customized path to meet the goals in their state plans. McCabe stated that EPA will use four different types of strategies for states and utilities to reduce carbon emissions: heat rate improvements, re-dispatching power to natural gas, greater reliance on zero carbon generation, and energy efficiency. McCabe identified EPA’s key focus areas for finalizing the Clean Power Plan: credit for actions prior to 2020; changes to the building blocks; baseline year(s); glide path for emissions reductions; state goal calculations; State plan timing; system reliability considerations; energy, legal, and cost implications; and renewable and energy efficiency approaches. These focus areas were based on the input from a wide variety of stakeholders and a broad range of input from over four million public comments received. The other key elements of Clean Power Plan addressed by EPA and published in the EUEC Journal include interim goals and glide path; the role of States and flexibility; system reliability and stranded assets; EPA’s outreach, public input and next steps. EUEC is USA’s largest, longest-running, professional networking and educational event of its kind. EUEC 2015, the 18th annual energy, utility and environment conference was held Feb 16-18, 2015 in San Diego, CA, with over 2,000 delegates, 200 exhibiting companies and 400 expert speakers in a 10-track program. The 19th annual EUEC 2016 will be held February 3-5, 2016 in San Diego, California. Please visit EUEC Journal for details. To subscribe to EUEC news, please email info@euec.com
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