Coal-fired Congress Blocks Path to Clean Energy

The author contends that 'grandfathering' existing coal-fired power plants in climate legislation would repeat past mistakes by incentivizing the continued operation of polluting facilities. The text argues that the Clean Air Act's regulatory powers are essential and complementary to a cap-and-trade system to ensure rapid emissions reductions and the growth of a clean energy economy.

• Coal-fired power plants are responsible for over one-third of global warming pollution in the United States, and addressing emissions from existing facilities is considered essential for any credible solution to global warming.
• The American Clean Energy and Security Act, passed by the House of Representatives in June 2009, included a deal that would restrict the EPA's regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act, potentially exempting over 600 existing coal plants from adopting new pollution-reducing technologies.
• The author argues that a cap-and-trade system and the Clean Air Act are complementary tools: the cap provides an economy-wide limit, while the Clean Air Act allows for targeted emissions standards for large pollution sources like coal plants.
• Historical precedent shows that 'grandfathering' coal plants under the 1970 Clean Air Act failed because it encouraged operators to keep old, dirty plants running instead of closing them.

APA

Earthjustice (2009). Coal-fired Congress Blocks Path to Clean Energy. https://earthjustice.org/article/coalfired-congress-puts-roadblock-clean-energys-path

Chicago

Earthjustice. Coal-fired Congress Blocks Path to Clean Energy. 2009. https://earthjustice.org/article/coalfired-congress-puts-roadblock-clean-energys-path.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Coal-fired Congress Blocks Path to Clean Energy |date=16 December 2009 |url=https://earthjustice.org/article/coalfired-congress-puts-roadblock-clean-energys-path |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2009coalfired, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Coal-fired Congress Blocks Path to Clean Energy}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2009}, month = dec, url = {https://earthjustice.org/article/coalfired-congress-puts-roadblock-clean-energys-path}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }