The Biden administration has proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal and gas-fired power plants. But they will do little to offset emissions from the ones that already exist.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that power generation can pose health threats to local communities and has outlined a number of steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.
But conservationists say the rules will do little to change how existing plants operate.
Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club says the proposal would exempt all of Arizona’s major plants.
"So we really need them to come back, tighten it up, and bring those plants in, to really phase out carbon emissions," Bahr said.
She says another source of carbon emissions can take place at gas wells.
The administration has addressed those in a separate rule.
