ST. PAUL, Minn. - It's being called an historic achievement. Twenty-two years after getting the authority from Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally announced its first-ever nationwide standards for mercury and toxic air pollution from power plants.

J Drake Hamilton, science policy director for Minnesota-based Fresh Energy, says the standards will be phased in over the next four years and are expected to reduce pollution from power plants by 91 percent.

"This is really good news for human health, because it turns out that the pollutants that we're talking about cause nerve damage in kids, brain damage in kids, premature deaths, asthma attacks, heart attacks and cancer."

The reduction in pollution from the standards is expected to save some 11,000 lives a year, adds Hamilton.

Those opposed to the rule have, among other concerns, pointed to the cost of the overhaul. Hamilton agrees the transformation will not be cheap, but says it will more than pay for itself in the long run, as fewer people suffer from diseases caused or exacerbated by the pollutants.

"The cost of doing that will be about $9.6 billion, but the health benefits will be at least triple that amount. So, you invest dollars in cleaning up the power supply, you keep the lights on, and you greatly improve the health of human beings."

In Hamilton's opinion, the reductions are vital to protect the great outdoor traditions in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," where last year alone, she says, mercury pollution reached nearly 900 pounds.

"To give you a sense of the context, less than a teaspoon of mercury is enough to contaminate the fish in a 20-acre lake. So, these air toxins are very potent; they're very powerful. They can cause a lot of damage to the food chain and the fish, and to the people who eat those fish."

Minnesota has been ahead of the curve on this issue with legislation that was passed in 2006 ordering a reduction of mercury at the six largest power plants in the state. More than a dozen others in Minnesota will now be covered by this new national rule.

More details about the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) are online at www.epa.gov/mats.



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As the economy has changed with the pandemic in the past few years, Indiana's small communities have seen an exodus of jobs and people. However, experts say there's hope on the horizon in the form of community redevelopment through renewable energy.

According to the Clean Grid Alliance, Indiana already has the second-most clean-energy jobs in the Midwest because millions of dollars are being invested in wind and solar energy.

Connie Neininger, senior advisor for the Center for Infrastructure and Economic Development, said clean energy could be the answer to revitalizing a community.

"The rural area needs to find its niche, and that could be renewable energy, because more and more companies today are looking for renewable-energy sources," she said. "Especially globally, they're looking for communities that have renewable energy available."

Since 2021, Neininger said, clean-energy jobs in the Hoosier State are growing twice as fast as the overall economy. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide $6.9 billion over the next five years for road, bridge and redevelopment projects.

Neininger said economic development agreements can be a powerful incentive to recruit for renewable-energy businesses. She recommended hiring a qualified attorney or consultant to advise on issues such as financial incentives or tax-abatement agreements.

"When a renewable-energy project comes in and invests sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars into that community with its infrastructure," she said, "the actual equipment - that is adding to the county's assessed valuation."

Neininger warned that local officials need to be clear-eyed about which types of companies they recruit, making sure their community and the employer are a good fit.

"They may not have the workforce available," she said. "They may not have the infrastructure, whether it's water, wastewater or even power. And they may not have the transportation - the roadways, the access to interstate - as do a lot of the metropolitan areas."

Oregon is pursuing an aggressive climate plan to switch to renewable energy sources, but it faces one often overlooked issue: enough high-voltage power lines to facilitate the transition.

An Oregon law requires utilities to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040. However, the Northwest's aging transmission lines will need a reboot to ensure wind and solar resources on the east side of the Cascades make their way west.

Emily Moore, director of climate and energy at the Sightline Institute, said lines can take 10 to 20 years to build, and the grid is nearing capacity.

"We need to be looking much farther into the future in order to start those complicated processes now," Moore contended. "And not wait a decade or 20 years until it's much more urgent."

Moore argued creating a plan for building power lines in the region is going to be critical. She pointed out a glut of wind and solar projects in the Northwest cannot come online because there is a lack of transmission capacity.

There are several hurdles to siting transmission lines. Negotiations are required with landowners and tribes, and not every community likes the idea of having tall lines stretch across the land.

Fred Heutte, senior policy associate for the Northwest Energy Coalition in Portland, said public engagement is key, especially with the communities where the lines may end up going.

"Their voices are really important and getting benefits to those communities as a result of the new transmission is also very important, and being protective of the environmental and cultural resources that may be affected by new transmission is also important," Heutte outlined. "All of those things come into play here."

Moore noted the biggest transmission line player in the region is the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal entity which owns about three-quarters of the high-voltage lines in the Northwest.

"We do have, of course, our Northwest congressional delegation, which has influence over BPA and many folks think that they should be encouraging or at least engaging with BPA on more proactively building new lines," Moore emphasized.

She added states should do everything they can to maximize energy sources like rooftop solar, which reduce the need for transmission lines.

Proposed legislation would help schools throughout Virginia adopt renewable energy.

The bill would direct the Virginia Department of Energy and the Commission on School Construction and Modernization to gather information about climate-smart programs for schools to implement. Schools in the state would also receive technical assistance and help seeking funding sources.

Del. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Ashburn, the bill's author, said while the program the bill creates is completely optional, an important part of future building will include renewable energy.

"When you build a school, it doesn't just last five years, and then you tear it down, and you build another one. It's got to last a long time. Decades, right?" Subramanyam pointed out. "And I don't see us in 20, 30 years; I don't see a future that's not going to involve renewable energy."

Subramanyam considers it common-sense legislation, and an easy way to help schools, without forcing them to adopt the measure, if they do not have the funding to do so.

School administrators told him they were not sure how to access certain climate-friendly resources. A previous version of the bill was introduced in 2021 but needed to be revised. Subramanyam hopes the legislation will aid schools in preparing for a climate-smart future.

Molly Robertson, research associate at Resources for the Future, believes it is a critical part of the puzzle to ensure schools move toward climate friendliness. One benefit she sees is getting schools access to information about adapting renewable-energy resources.

However, she noted if they do not have the resources to get involved with the program, there is not much help in the way of accessing climate-smart grants. Robertson added there are lower-cost options to make Virginia schools more environmentally friendly.

"The easiest one that a lot of schools have tackled is replacing their lighting system and using high-efficiency LED bulbs," Robertson explained. "But, there are other things that can make an even bigger impact, like replacing heating systems from natural-gas heating systems to electric heating systems like heat pumps."

She emphasized larger school districts have energy-conservation programs in place, but others might need to establish them, potentially starting at the state level. While it is one part of a larger puzzle, Robertson thinks the bill offers schools a unique opportunity to be part of the push to decarbonize buildings.