The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan, recently finalized by the EPA, could increase air pollution in 16-20 states, including Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. It’s not just carbon dioxide (16 states), but also nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, precursors to smog (20 states). Smog (ozone) is known to affect people with asthma and COPD (emphysema) as well as causing other health problems. Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina are among the states that could see an increase in emissions.
Here’s how it could happen: Under the new ACE plan, power companies could make coal power plants more efficient. This would mean that they could make more electricity, and the utilities might use them more than other sources such as natural gas or renewables. So emissions could go up, if coal plants are used more than other sources. This could affect the health of people living in those states.
Washington Post: Emissions could go up under ACE
