Energy industry decision-makers and analysts have focused on the highest profile Biden Administration initiatives: the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (aka, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). Most recently, the Administration proposed tighter-than-expected vehicle emission standards that would dramatically push up sales of zero-emission vehicles; in the case of light-duty cars and trucks, to two-thirds of sales by 2032. But with the focus on the Administration’s biggest actions, other important regulatory actions may, if not lost in the shuffle, receive less attention than they deserve. In this blog post we will focus on one example of a lower-profile rule – effluent guidelines for steam-electric plants – which may accelerate coal plant retirements, plus brief mentions of other upcoming rules. We then explain why modeling can, and should, be used to help industry and policy makers evaluate the impact of federal rules and response strategies.
