The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set new source performance standards (NSPS) for industrial categories that cause, or significantly contribute to, air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. On December 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency entered into two proposed settlement agreements to issue rules that will address greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants and refineries.
- Press release on the settlements
- Listening sessions on greenhouse gas standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants and petroleum refineries
Fossil fuel-fired power plants produce electricity by burning fossil fuel – primarily coal. Petroleum refineries refine crude petroleum into a number of products including gasoline, kerosene, asphalt, lubricants, solvents and a variety of other products. These two industrial sectors make up nearly 40 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
You may need Adobe Reader to view files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.- Fact Sheet: Settlement agreements to address greenhouse gas emissions from electric generating units and refineries (PDF)(3 pp, 58 K)
- Settlement Agreement for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants - December 23, 2010 (PDF)(21 pp, 613 K)
- Modification to the Settlement Agreement for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants - June 13, 2011 (PDF)(15 pp, 851 K)
- Settlement Agreement for Petroleum Refineries - December 23, 2010 (PDF)(23 pp, 693 K)