In July of 2024, we shared concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rules targeting power plants and how these measures could affect reliability and affordability. We’re now pleased to provide a positive update: electric cooperatives — including Prairie Land Electric — are encouraged by a series of actions announced by the EPA, as these latest developments could help ease some of the cost and reliability pressures for co-ops like ours and the members we serve.
The EPA said it will review and reconsider the Biden administration’s power plant greenhouse gas rule.
This rule, as proposed, would constrain existing coal and new natural gas power plants by requiring them to install carbon capture and storage technology that is not yet reliable or commercially available. Electric cooperatives and other utilities have expressed concerns that the rule could lead to early closures of reliable power sources and increase the risk of electric grid instability — especially as electricity demand continues to rise.
The EPA also plans to reconsider other rules hindering America’s energy strength, including the mercury and air rule, ozone transport rule, and power plant wastewater rule. The agency will further address ongoing issues with the coal ash program and take other steps to strengthen domestic energy production while protecting the environment.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), which represents electric cooperatives like Prairie Land in Washington, D.C., outlined these concerns in a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in January. NRECA CEO Jim Matheson met with Zeldin to further discuss how these rules could impact electric co-ops and the communities we serve. The letter offered a policy roadmap to address regulatory challenges while still protecting the environment and keeping power reliable.
These recent EPA announcements are a critical step toward a more resilient electric grid — and not a moment too soon. Demand for electricity is rapidly growing, yet unrealistic public policy decisions are forcing dependable generation sources to retire faster than they can be reliably replaced.
Electric cooperatives like Prairie Land Electric appreciate EPA’s decision to revisit these rules. Sound energy policy must balance environmental protection with the need to keep the lights on — and that’s exactly what our members count on us to deliver.