EPA’s Easing of Carbon Controls Seen Hurting Clean-Coal Momentum

The EPA wants to open the door for new coal plants, but may instead dampen progress for the greenhouse gas capture technology that coal facilities will need to survive in a carbon-constrained world.

Plans the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled Dec. 6 to redo Obama-era carbon controls for new and modified coal-fired power plants would remove a requirement for new facilities to install partial carbon-capture technology. Instead, these plants would have softer limits they could meet by increasing efficiency.

The EPA is proposing to reverse a finding from the Obama administration that carbon capture and storage is “adequately demonstrated” and ...