Wall Street Journal: Obama’s ‘executive action’ on climate change
The Wall Street Journal published an article this week discussing President Obama’s comments on climate change during his State of the Union address.
President Obama’s appointment of Gina McCarthy as the new chief of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that he aims to take definitive action to address climate change.
Miss McCarthy has led the EPA’s clean air office over that past several years, and has been a proponent of increased regulation of large emitters, specifically power plants since they generate the majority of nationwide emissions.
If Congress fails to pass any climate legislation, President Obama will likely look to the EPA to enforce any climate change policies.
New emission standards for power plants are expected early this year that will require power plants to generate electricity with more efficiency, cutting down on their emissions.
While natural gas-fired facilities will likely meet these new performance standards, older coal-fired power plants will have to be retrofitted with smokestack scrubbers, or converted to run off of natural gas.
(3/5/13)