Did Obama's EPA kill coal power?

The environmental agency limits emissions for coal plants, a possible death knell for the industry

A coal-fired power plant in Tampa, Florida: New EPA rules will make it near impossible for any new coal power plants to be built in the future.
(Image credit: Mike Theiss/Ultimate Chase/Corbis)

Move over, "Old King Coal." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the first time has announced greenhouse-gas limits for new power plants, in a move that "could end the construction of conventional coal-fired facilities in the United States," says Juliet Eilperin at The Washington Post. The EPA didn't single out coal plants, but its limits are strict enough that it's unlikely any coal plant will be able to meet them. Natural gas plants, which use a cleaner source of energy, make the grade, while the Obama administration hopes that the new rules will encourage the manufacture of plants that are powered by alternative energies. Does this mean the end of coal power?

Yes. And you can thank Obama for your huge electric bill: If you worry about rising gas prices, "wait until you see what happens to electricity," says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. This is all part of Obama's plan to "drive up energy costs in order to make his favored alternatives somewhat competitive." But alternative energy can never match the "production scope of hydrocarbon sources." Don't be surprised to find people "lighting candles rather than flipping on the light switch."

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