As the Environmental Protection Agency gets ready to release proposedgreenhouse gas standards对于6月2日现有的发电厂,美国各地的州官员正在权衡减少二氧化碳排放碳的最佳方法。WRI已显示某些州如何遵守这些标准.

Somestateshave been reducing their power sector emissions for years. Yet ouranalysisfound most states we profiled can achieve deep emissions reductions by better utilizing existing infrastructure and continuing to comply with clean energy policies already on the books.换句话说,遵守新的发电厂排放标准对许多州来说并不是一个巨大的提升。

The Forthcoming Power Plant Emissions Standards

On June 25, 2013, President Obamadirected环境保护局(EPA)今年6月发布了拟议的发电厂碳污染标准。在公开评论期之后,EPA将在2015年6月最终确定标准。随后,州将有一年多的时间向EPA提交计划,详细介绍他们将采取的措施满足规则中规定的减少排放目标。

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has保证states that they will have broadflexibilityin how they can comply with the forthcoming standards—allowing for emissions cuts to happen throughout the power sector rather than at each individual power plant. Though we don’t yet have specifics, we anticipate a wide array of tools could be at states’ disposal – from efficiency measures that reduce electricity demand, to switching from coal to natural gas, to increasing deployment of renewable energy sources, to regional approaches like theRegional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

States Can Use Existing Tools to Cut Emissions

WRI着手研究如何遵守中度至雄心勃勃的电厂标准需要做什么。为了进行此分析,我们选择了各种州 - 迄今为止,我们已经查看了俄亥俄州,北卡罗来纳州,密歇根州,宾夕法尼亚州,伊利诺伊州,科罗拉多州,威斯康星州,明尼苏达州和田纳西州,包括一些通常不常见的领导者从发电中切割温室气体排放。有些,喜欢Ohio, rely heavily on coal for their power; others, likeMichigan,依靠渴望电力制造来推动其经济。我们还优先考虑地理多样性,包括来自Southeastto the西部山. But however diverse these states might be, they are all well-positioned to comply with moderate to ambitious federal carbon pollution standards.

In each of these states, we examined opportunities to cut emissions using existing infrastructure. This includes steps like using more natural gas, installing morecombined heat and power(CHP)在大学和医院等大型设施中,并在燃煤电厂进行现场效率提高。在拥有它们的州,我们还研究了简单地遵守现有的能源效率和可再生能源标准的影响;对于没有清洁能源政策的州,我们研究了这些政策实际上可以实现的。我们的分析中的每个状态都有符合柔性碳污染标准的多种方法。

另外,由于供需方效率节省能源,这些措施具有成本效益,可以降低电费。Manystatesfound that increasing their use of renewablessavedcustomersmoney.

州从这里去哪里?

States have many effective, proven policies they can put in place to complement power plant standards and encourage investment in low- or zero-carbon generation technologies. While some states are considering rolling back or eliminating existing clean energy policies, our analysis shows that would be shortsighted. Extending and expanding these measures to get more energy savings and renewable generation potential will enhance states’ options for complying with EPA standards. And states without clean energy policies can learn from those that have demonstrated that these arecost-effective的方法创建作业和cut carbon pollution from the power sector. Because the electric grid crosses state lines, neighboring states should also think about working together for the most cost-effective reductions.

用于切割电力部门排放的投资不仅会产生具有气候和健康的清洁电力系统必威官网是真的吗benefits, but also benefit the economy for years to come.