EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability

This WRI fact sheet argues that the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) will not compromise U.S. electricity reliability. It highlights regulatory flexibility, the availability of rapid-install compliance technologies, and the fact that approved new generating capacity exceeds projected regulatory-driven retirements. It also notes that the transition from coal to gas is largely a market-driven trend supported by low natural gas prices.

• The implementation of the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) and other air quality regulations is not expected to jeopardize the reliability of the U.S. electricity system. This conclusion is based on historical experience with Clean Air Act regulations, the availability of flexible enforcement options to delay plant closures if necessary, and the fact that 17 states had already imposed rules on mercury and toxic emissions as of 2011 without imperiling reliability.
• Compliance with MATS is supported by technological and temporal flexibility. The rule is expected to allow three years for compliance, with potential extensions of a fourth year from the EPA or additional security-based extensions from the President. Available compliance technologies, such as Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD), Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI), and Activated Carbon Injection (ACI), can be installed within 10 to 30 months.
• Approved new electricity capacity is sufficient to offset projected plant retirements caused by environmental regulations. Between 2007 and 2010, 18 GW of capacity were retired in the U.S., while 27 GW of new capacity had already received regulatory approval to come online between 2012 and 2015. This approved capacity exceeds the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) estimate of 7.5 to 18 GW of retirements by 2015 by at least 50%.
• The shift away from coal-fired generation is driven by a combination of regulatory requirements and market factors. The Edison Electric Institute announced that member companies would close 231 coal-fired units (48 GW capacity) between 2010 and 2022 due to old equipment, the need for pollution controls, and low expected natural gas prices.

APA

World Resources Institute (2011). EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability. https://pdf.wri.org/factsheets/factsheet_epa_mercury_rules_power_reliability.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability. 2011. https://pdf.wri.org/factsheets/factsheet_epa_mercury_rules_power_reliability.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability |date=December 2011 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/factsheets/factsheet_epa_mercury_rules_power_reliability.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2011epa, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2011}, month = dec, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/factsheets/factsheet_epa_mercury_rules_power_reliability.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }