Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the repeal of the agency’s 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule. The 2024 rule modified an earlier 2012 rule. In response, America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth released the following statement:
“Repealing the 2024 MATS rule is an important step toward maintaining a reliable and affordable supply of electricity and ensuring coal-based generation can continue supporting the nation’s economy and electric grid.
“In combination with other EPA rules, the 2024 MATS rule would have helped accelerate coal plant retirements, ignoring the critical role these facilities play in providing dependable, baseload power. Utilities have already invested more than $2.5 billion to comply with the original 2012 MATS rule, and the 2024 update would have required roughly $1 billion in additional costs that ultimately would have been borne by ratepayers.
“More than 55,000 MW of coal-fired generating capacity is scheduled to retire over the next five years, even as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation warns that over half of the country faces the risk of blackouts during that same timeframe. Repealing regulations like the 2024 MATS rule helps prevent premature retirements and strengthens grid reliability at a critical moment. The impressive performance of the nation’s coal fleet in keeping homes warm during Winter Storm Fern demonstrates the need for coal.
“It is important to recognize that utilities have invested more than $30 billion in air pollution control technologies, including technologies to comply with the 2012 MATS rule, for coal power plants since 2010. This investment assures that air quality is being protected as harmful rules are being rewritten.”