The Trump administration on Sept. 14 continued its pursuit of gutting regulations for energy sources producing greenhouse gas emissions and Minnesotans making the push for cleaner air warned of devastating consequences from EPA rollbacks of power plant standards.
Federal officials announced a final repeal of most of the Biden administration’s greenhouse gas requirements for coal and natural gas plants. The EPA said it will lead to more than $300 billion in savings for the energy sector.
Jenna Yeakle, central region Beyond Coal Campaign manager for the Sierra Club, who is based in Minnesota, sees it another way.
“(President Donald) Trump is so clearly handing coal and gas companies a free pass to just keep polluting and the American people are going to pay for it,” Yeakle said.
She noted vast research shows sources like coal plants are more expensive to run than renewables and the administration’s action paves the way for higher energy bills.
States like Minnesota are phasing out coal production but Yeakle pointed out unchecked emissions elsewhere will fuel extreme weather events which can spread to the region, creating additional cost headaches.
The administration, citing the need for meeting rising electricity demand, signaled it wants to prevent future administrations from imposing new standards.
The impacts of EPA rollbacks
Yeakle stressed people should not forget about the health effects when regulations are rolled back. The Sierra Club and scientific researchers said exposure to air pollution from coal plants causes around 6,500 deaths each year in the US.
Yeakle went on to say the more indirect effects are getting harder to ignore in this part of the country.
“I breathed in a hell of a lot of wildfire smoke this summer. I experienced relentless weeks of 90-plus degree weather in Minnesota and that’s a burden that all of us are carrying,” Yeakle emphasized.
Environmental groups said a major concern associated with reduced pollution standards is the push for new natural gas plants around the country to power up data centers. Meanwhile, the Sierra Club said it plans to fight the latest action with any available options, including through the courts.
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