"Obama Greenhouse-Gas Cuts Splits Power, Coal Industries"

[applegrove]

Obama Greenhouse-Gas Cuts Splits Power, Coal Industries

By Mark Drajem and Mark Chediak at Bloomberg News

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-17/obama-greenhouse-gas-cuts-splits-power-coal-industries.html

"SNIP......................


Bracing for greenhouse-gas rules from the Obama administration, two industries are staking out different positions. Coal companies are pledging to sue. Electric utilities are ready to talk.

That split may give U.S. President Barack Obama a chance to rally support -- or at least blunt resistance -- to his plan, which is due June 2.

Electric companies say they hope to convince Obama’s aides that cuts in carbon emissions already achieved should count toward the goals in his plan, which could call for reductions of as much as 25 percent over 15 years, according to two people familiar with the discussions on the proposal.

Greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, the largest source, dropped 16 percent from 2005 to 2012, and companies such as American Electric Power Co. (AEP) and Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) want the cuts included in any measure of progress.




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