New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 60</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0072; FRL-8536-01-OAR]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2060-AV09</RIN> <SUBJECT>New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing multiple actions under section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). First, the EPA is finalizing the repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule. Second, the EPA is finalizing emission guidelines for GHG emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired steam generating EGUs, which include both coal-fired and oil/gas-fired steam generating EGUs. Third, the EPA is finalizing revisions to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for GHG emissions from new and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired stationary combustion turbine EGUs. Fourth, the EPA is finalizing revisions to the NSPS for GHG emissions from fossil fuel-fired steam generating units that undertake a large modification, based upon the 8-year review required by the CAA. The EPA is not finalizing emission guidelines for GHG emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired stationary combustion turbines at this time; instead, the EPA intends to take further action on the proposed emission guidelines at a later date. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on July 8, 2024. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rules is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of July 8, 2024. The incorporation by reference of certain other materials listed in the rule was approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of October 23, 2015. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for these actions under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0072. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Lisa Thompson (she/her), Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243-02), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-5158; and email address: <E T="03">thompson.lisa@epa.gov</E> . </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” is intended to refer to the EPA. The EPA uses multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of this preamble and for reference purposes, the EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ACE Affordable Clean Energy rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BSER best system of emissions reduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Btu British thermal unit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CCS carbon capture and sequestration/storage</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CCUS carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration/storage</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> CO <E T="52">2</E>  carbon dioxide </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DER distributed energy resources</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOE Department of Energy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EEA energy emergency alert</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EGU electric generating unit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EIA Energy Information Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EJ environmental justice</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">E.O. Executive Order</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FEED front-end engineering and design</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FGD flue gas desulfurization</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GHG greenhouse gas</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GW gigawatt</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GWh gigawatt-hour</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HAP hazardous air pollutant</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HRSG heat recovery steam generator</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IIJA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IRC Internal Revenue Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">kg kilogram</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">kWh kilowatt-hour</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LCOE levelized cost of electricity</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LNG liquefied natural gas</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MATS Mercury and Air Toxics Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMBtu/h million British thermal units per hour</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> MMT CO <E T="52">2</E> e million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MW megawatt</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MWh megawatt-hour</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NESHAP National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NGCC natural gas combined cycle</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> NO <E T="52">X</E>  nitrogen oxides </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NSPS new source performance standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NSR New Source Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PM particulate matter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> PM <E T="52">2.5</E>  fine particulate matter </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RIA regulatory impact analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TSD technical support document</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S. United States</FP> </EXTRACT> <E T="03">Organization of this document.</E> The information in this preamble is organized as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Climate Change and Fossil Fuel-Fired EGUs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Recent Developments in Emissions Controls and the Electric Power Sector</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Summary of the Principal Provisions of These Regulatory Actions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Grid Reliability Considerations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Environmental Justice Considerations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Energy Workers and Communities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Key Changes From Proposal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Action Applicability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Where To Get a Copy of This Document and Other Related Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Climate Change Impacts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Recent Developments in Emissions Controls and the Electric Power Sector</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. GHG Emissions From Fossil Fuel-Fired EGUs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Recent Developments in Emissions Control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. The Electric Power Sector: Trends and Current Structure</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. The Legislative, Market, and State Law Context</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Future Projections of Power Sector Trends</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Statutory Background and Regulatory History for CAA Section 111</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Statutory Authority To Regulate GHGs From EGUs Under CAA Section 111</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. History of EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases From Electricity Generating Units Under CAA Section 111 and Caselaw</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> C. Detailed Discussion of CAA Section 111 Requirements </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. ACE Rule Repeal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Summary of Selected Features of the ACE Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Developments Undermining ACE Rule's Projected Emission Reductions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Developments Showing That Other Technologies Are the BSER for This Source Category</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Insufficiently Precise Degree of Emission Limitation Achievable From Application of the BSER</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Withdrawal of Proposed NSR Revisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Regulatory Approach for Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Steam Generating Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Overview</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Applicability Requirements and Fossil Fuel-Type Definitions for Subcategories of Steam Generating Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Rationale for the BSER for Coal-Fired Steam Generating Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Rationale for the BSER for Natural Gas-Fired and Oil-Fired Steam Generating Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Additional Comments Received on the Emission Guidelines for Existing Steam Generating Units and Responses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Regulatory Requirement To Review Emission Guidelines for Coal-Fired Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Requirements for New and Reconstructed Stationary Combustion Turbine EGUs and Rationale for Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Overview</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Combustion Turbine Technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Overview of Regulation of Stationary Combustion Turbines for GHGs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Eight-Year Review of NSPS</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Applicability Requirements and Subcategorization</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Determination of the Best System of Emission Reduction (BSER) for New and Reconstructed Stationary Combustion Turbines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Sta ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 2156k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━