Clean Power Plan

FACT SHEET: Clean Power Plan & Carbon Pollution Standards Key Dates

CUTTING CARBON POLLUTION FROM POWER PLANTS


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, has been working on a commonsense approach to cut carbon pollution from power plants. The science shows that climate change is already posing risks to our health and our economy. The Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants and the Carbon Pollution Standards for New Power Plants will maintain an affordable, reliable energy system, while cutting pollution and protecting our health and environment now and for future generations.

The following list provides key dates from EPA’s proposals and planned dates for proposing and finalizing Clean Air Act standards and actions to address carbon pollution from existing, new, modified and reconstructed power plants:

Previous Milestones

  • Carbon Pollution Standards for new power plants
    Clean Air Act Section 111(b)
    • September 20, 2013 – EPA announces proposed standards to limit carbon pollution from new power plants.
    • January 8, 2014 –Proposal publishes in Federal Register and 60-day comment period begins.
    • February 5, 2014 – EPA issues Notice of Data Availability.
    • February 26, 2014 -- EPA extends comment period by 60 days.
    • May 9, 2014 – 120-day comment period closes. EPA receives roughly 2 million comments.
       
  • Clean Power Plan for existing power plants
    Clean Air Act Section 111(d)
    • June 2, 2014 – EPA announces proposed Clean Power Plan to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants in States.
    • June 18, 2014 – Proposal publishes in Federal Register and 120-day public comment period begins.
    • September 18, 2014 – EPA extends comment period by 45 days
    • October 28, 2014 – EPA issues Notice of Data Availability.
    • December 1, 2014 – 165-day comment period ends. EPA receives more than 2 million public comments.
       
  • Clean Power Plan for existing power plants – supplemental proposal
    Clean Air Act Section 111(d)
    • October 28, 2014 – EPA announces proposed Clean Power Plan to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants in Indian Country and U.S. Territories.
    • November 4, 2014 – Supplemental proposal publishes in Federal Register and 45-day public comment period begins.
    • December 19, 2014 – Comment period closes.
       
  • Carbon Pollution Standards for modified and reconstructed power plants
    Clean Air Act Section 111(b)
    • June 2, 2014 – EPA announces proposed standards to limit carbon pollution from modified and reconstructed power plants.
    • June 18, 2014 – Proposal publishes in Federal Register and 120-day public comment period begins.
    • October 16, 2014 – 120-day comment period closes. EPA receives about 235 public comments.

Upcoming Milestones

  • January 2015
    • EPA to begin the regulatory process for proposing a federal plan to meet goals for cutting carbon pollution from existing power plants.
       
  • Summer 2015
    • EPA to issue final rules on:
      • Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants in States, Indian Country and U.S. Territories.
      • Carbon Pollution Standards for New, Modified and Reconstructed Power Plants.
    • EPA plans to propose a federal plan for meeting Clean Power Plan goals for public review and comment.
       
  • Summer 2016
    • Proposed due date for states to submit compliance plans to EPA – these can be complete plans or initial plans with requests for 1- or 2-year extensions.
    • EPA will be in a position to issue a final federal plan for meeting Clean Power Plan goals in areas that do not submit plans.
       
  • Summer 2017
    • Proposed due date for compliance plans with 1-year extension.
       
  • Summer 2018
    • Proposed due date for multi-state compliance plans with 2-year extension.
       
  • Summer 2020
    • Proposed beginning of the Clean Power Plan compliance period.

Printable version of the fact sheet:

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