A state official told lawmakers on Thursday that none of Kentucky's coal-fired power plants will close because of the EPA's new emission standards.
Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy John Lyons said the average carbon emissions of Kentucky's fleet of coal-fired power plants should meet the new standard by 2020. That's because 11 boilers are scheduled to shut down by then because of other EPA air quality regulations.
The real concern, Lyons said, is an EPA rule proposed last year that limits the carbon emissions of new coal-fired power plants. Lyons said coal plants will not be able to meet that standard and will likely be replaced by natural gas. He predicted Kentucky would have no coal-fired power plants left by 2050.