In a recent Morgan Lewis article about the Obama administration’s final Clean Power Plan, Washington, DC-based partner Stephen M. Spina and his team break down the issues covered by the new rule and offer insights into the significant impact on the electric power sector.
US President Obama and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on August 3 released the final Clean Power Plan (CPP or final rule). This ambitious regulation establishes state-specific standards for reduced carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. The regulation is the first-ever federal limitation on carbon emissions and marks the culmination of the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce emissions from power plants and encourage renewable energy development, with the stated goal of lessening the impact of climate change.