Environmental Solutions
Technology First
Fast Facts
- Coal-fueled power plants being built today are approximately 80% cleaner in emissions than the existing fleet..
- Coal use for electricity generation has more than tripled since 1970, while six primary emissions have been reduced by more than one-half during that time
When America enacted the Clean Air Act in 1970, it set tough but achievable goals to improve emissions, using a variety of technologies for cars, power plants, industry and appliances. That’s the right way to handle emissions standards: set limits when the technology exists to achieve them. This has worked for particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and ultimately will work for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Some organizations are calling for federal caps to limit America’s carbon dioxide emissions. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Carbon dioxide emissions are the result of almost everything we do, from breathing and driving to heating our homes and using our computers.
Federal caps before technology is available would increase energy costs and would send American jobs overseas and moot energy security. For instance, even what is believed to be a conservative estimate of a “modest” climate bill under consideration would cost the economy nearly a half-trillion dollars in net present value. Emissions would simply flow to other nations that would take American jobs. Already this decade, America has seen too much “demand destruction” and job loss due to high energy prices.