EPA Approves New Air Pollution Standards That Could Add To Your Power Bill

December 22, 2011

The EPA announced on Wednesday controversial new air-pollution standards that could force expensive upgrades at some Florida power plants that have been long-sought by environmental and health advocates.

Gulf Power Company has repeatedly raised concerns about the standards in recent months, saying Wednesday that they needed to review details of the final standards to gauge their impact.

Before the release Wednesday, the EPA made changes to earlier proposals for the standards. Sandy Sims, a spokeswoman for Pensacola-based Gulf Power, said the company will review the final version and look at options for complying.

“Our main concern is how best to continue to provide reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity to our customers,” she said in an e-mail.

In October, Florida Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi joined 24 other states in calling for EPA to delay implementation of the standards.

“We cannot allow Floridians, many of whom are already suffering financial hardships, to bear the brunt of costly federal regulations,” Bondi said at the time.

Comments

9 Responses to “EPA Approves New Air Pollution Standards That Could Add To Your Power Bill”

  1. David Huie Green on December 26th, 2011 5:00 pm

    beats me, you’re free to do so. If you make enough excess power, you’ll have a money maker on your hands. If not, it will be your money you spent.

    David wondering
    why people wonder
    why people don’t do
    what they won’t do
    themselves

  2. Jane on December 26th, 2011 4:25 pm

    So why aren’t we combining wind turbines and solar? You can put a small set up at your home if you have room and then use Gulf Power as a back up. Hmmm….

  3. David Huie Green on December 23rd, 2011 4:52 pm

    REGARDING:
    “while it may help the environment it will hurt the economy and to be honest, the largest polluter is China and they have no EPA to hurt their economy!!!”

    An environment in which you can’t live doesn’t help you even if it produces a thriving economy. (If you’re dead, you don’t care who’s making money.)

    And yes, China is a large polluter and it is killing many Chinese. Add to that the knowledge they have a one-child policy and every death wipes out two family lines. The people will eventually put a stop to the government killing their children to make money.

    I have no idea if the rules they handed down are reasonable or not but the idea that there should be NO protection of the place where we live makes no sense to me.

    Natural gas is safer and cleaner but we don’t want them producing from the Destin Dome. Nuclear is less polluting, but we fear nuclear. The wind turbines are efficient and cost effective, but we don’t like to look at them and they can‘t be effective everywhere or all the time. Solar seems to still not be cost effective or everybody would’ve switched to it already. (If you disagree, you’re free to switch.)

    Coal is dirty and deadly but we’ve grown used to it. We need to change. President Carter was wrong to commit us to it.

    David for perfect power

  4. Kathy on December 23rd, 2011 7:52 am

    Look at the amount of Asthma in this area, almost every kid has an inhaler. Look at the heart attacks and cancer. Then you really say you believe it is a left wing conspiracy to make money? Time to grow up and get educated!!

  5. huh on December 22nd, 2011 6:27 pm

    This is a good move by the EPA, you really have to think of the future on these issues . As population grows so will the pollution, the less pollution we have the better.

    Yeah, with no EPA we would be china. Have you seen the air quality they have there? most people have to wear masks when outside!

  6. jane on December 22nd, 2011 3:50 pm

    Again, Washington is aiming the guns at the people who can least afford it. By forcing this law into effect, while it may help the environment it will hurt the economy and to be honest, the largest polluter is China and they have no EPA to hurt their economy!!!

  7. tallyho on December 22nd, 2011 3:24 pm

    If i wanted to blame someone i would look a little further to the north east. This is another one of those plans from DC, from the far left that the sky is falling and i can make lots of money out of this. Check and see how much Gore made on climate warming.

  8. Brian on December 22nd, 2011 8:00 am

    This is getting ridiculous — there is always some excuse Gulf Power can use to raise our rates. I think it is time for the government to allow us to choose a power provider other than the one that we have to use based on where we live. Until we have the ability to choose whom we purchase power from, Gulf Power will have a monopoly and be able to raise rates anytime they get ready to do so.

  9. Kathy on December 22nd, 2011 7:06 am

    When arsenic, mercury and other very toxic pollutants enter the air from coal burning you get well over 11,000 premature deaths, 130,000 cases of Asthma, and 5,000 heart attacks. Cancer out the ying yang. We have known this for years and finally do something we should be jumping for joy. The heart attack will cost you more than a electric bill hike, asthma will cost you more than the electric bill hike, premature death of a loved one will cost you more than an electric bill hike. Use your big boy pants and big girl pants and think it through. You think small for today you pay tomorrow.