New Federal GHG Rules For Coal Fired Power Plants

Environment Minister Peter Kent announced new regulations for coal-fired power plants this afternoon.

The new regulations will come into effect on July 1, 2015, and will require new power plants and those that have reached the end of their useful life to meet an emissions intensity standard of 420 tonnes of CO2 per GWh of electricity (roughly equivalent to the emissions intensity from a combined cycle natural gas facility).

The new regulations will apply in provinces that do not sign equivalency agreements with Ottawa (in provinces with such agreements, provincial standards will apply).  A draft agreement is in place for Nova Scotia ( discussed here), and agreements are being negotiated for Saskatchewan and Alberta.