The US Government is to announce new measures that will reduce its carbon emissions from coal power plants. It is estimated that approximately 40% of electricity in the US is produced by burning coal, which has obvious environmental impacts due to the carbon emissions that are produced. However, the new proposals will seek to cut carbon pollution from almost 1,600 power plants by 30% by 2030.
President Obama pledged in his first year in office to make large cuts to carbon emissions. And whilst it seems that that pledge is now going to be realised, some are more cautious about the impact it may have on jobs in power stations and on the price of electricity.
In a speech last week, President Obama said, "I intend to make sure America is out front in a global framework to preserve our planet." He added, "American influence is always stronger when we lead by example. We cannot exempt ourselves from the rules that apply to everyone else."
Although details of the proposal are yet to be published, it is clear that the US is making more moves to curb its carbon emission levels - the investment in fracking in the US has already helped to cut such emissions. However, any proposal to cut carbon emissions is unlikely to be implemented quickly, and could even take up to two years to come into force following consultations and further consideration.
