Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
8/1/2014
Use of natural gas to generate energy is expected to increase under the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon emissions standards for coal-fired power plants, Janet McCabe, acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA, said during a lunch hosted by the American Gas Association this week. “The plans have big potential opportunities for natural gas in the states and, in fact, our modeling estimates that natural gas use will increase,” McCabe said. “We predict at the end of 2030, at the end of the compliance period, the nation will produce about 30 percent of its power from coal about 30 percent of its power from natural gas and the rest from a combination of other ones. So we think there’s lots of opportunity here.”
The proposed regulations set emission reduction targets for each state and mandate that the states develop implementation plans to meet those targets. The proposed rule includes four “building blocks” for emission reductions which states can use as they like to meet their targets. States may use any of the blocks or none in developing their plans, McCabe said. As long as emissions reduction can be attributed to a measure, that measure will be accepted by EPA as a valid means to meet emissions targets McCabe said. Natural gas, being a lower carbon fossil fuel, can potentially be used to offset high carbon coal in energy production should the proposed regulation be approved and EPA expects this will be the case in states where such fuel switching is feasible, McCabe said. “A state that has a lot of gas capacity that maybe isn’t being used as much as it could, there’s a lot of opportunity there for that state to move into that space,” she said.
Although natural gas is not a zero-carbon fuel, if utilized correctly there is no reason it cannot be part of an “all-of-the-above” low-carbon energy portfolio, McCabe said. “We know that when done responsibly, and safely, and carefully, and appropriately, and knowledgeably that oil and gas resources has great potential to help this country in terms of spurring economic growth, enhancing our energy security, improving our air quality, our quality of life, our public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
