President Barack Obama is to release new rules on Monday designed to reduce carbon pollution from power centers. The plan would reduce the amount of electricity coming from power centers that use coal. Administration officials want more power to come from natural gas, wind and the sun.
The plan calls for the centers to reduce the amount of carbon they release by 32 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2030.
The president says carbon released into the air is threatening the nation’s economy, its security and people’s health.
Power companies and Republicans in Congress are expected to oppose the plan because of what they say will be the high cost of reducing pollution. They are also worried that the cost of electricity will rise sharply if the plan goes into effect. As many as one-half of the 50 states are expected to ask courts to stop the plan.
