US sets limits for power plants’ carbon emissions

"The science tells us that climate change is real, human activities are fuelling that change, and we must take action to avoid the most devastating consequences," reported Xinhua citing Gina McCarthy of the environmental protection agency.

President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan "calls on federal agencies to take steady, sensible, and pragmatic steps to cut the harmful carbon pollution that fuels our changing climate," she said.

Under the standards announced Friday, new plants fuelled by natural gas will face an emissions limit of 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide for every megawatt hour of energy produced.

New coal-fired power plants will be limited to 1,100 pounds of CO2 per MWh, though operators will enjoy "operational flexibility" in how they meet that standard, the EPA said.

No existing US coal-fired plant emits less than 1,800 pounds of CO2 per MWh.

The coal industry and its supporters insist that tight emissions limits will make it too costly to build new coal-fired power plants, while the EPA chief said "available modern technologies" make it possible to substantially cut emissions.

"We are confident that the carbon pollution standards are flexible and achievable," McCarthy said.