Dirtiest US Coal Plant Tries To Remain Open
Bloomberg reports that EPA data points to a Montana coal plant as the “dirtiest in the country.” The news service reports that the count is based on fine particulate matter. Talen Energy and Northwestern Energy own the Colstrip plant.
The application for a two-year exemption shows the extent to which energy companies think they can get past environmental regulation under the Trump presidency.
The EPA reports that the plant is the only coal-fired in the US that has not implemented the pollution controls required under current regulations.
The news is a warning about the potential resurrection of coal as a significant energy source. Today, 16% of electricity is produced by coal, down from 20% the year before.
Rising Electricity Needs
Electricity needs have surged and will surge further and faster. AI server farms, Bitcoin mining, and air conditioning use could stretch a 40% demand increase by the decade’s end.
According to the NRDC, “Regardless of variety, however, all coal is dirty. Indeed, in terms of emissions, it’s the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel we can burn.”
The Trump Administration’s possible approval of continued use of the Costrip plant would be another in a series of actions, including the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
China is the world’s largest polluter. The US, however, could take that crown.
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