In March of this year, the EPA unveiled its most up-to-date “good neighbor” rule, seeking to significantly reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from power plants and industrial facilities across two dozen states, including Utah. The “good neighbor” rule, also known as the “Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR),” aims to help states meet air quality standards within their boundaries by creating an accountability mechanism for out-of-state sources of ozone. 

The rule requires Utah and other states to submit plans to reduce emissions from fossil fuel-fired plants and industrial plants contributing to bad air quality in neighboring states. However, if a state fails to submit a plan or submits a plan that does not meet federal standards for protecting downwind states, the federal government will step in to ensure compliance. The “good neighbor” rule is projected to reduce nitrogen oxide production from power plants by 50% in the next four years.

 In response to the EPA’s move to expand the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to western states, an expensive legal campaign is being waged by Rocky Mountain Power and the state of Utah, amongst others, to avoid compliance. During the 2023 Legislative session, Utah Lawmakers went so far as to appropriate $2 million taxpayer dollars for this fight against the EPA’s new rule. And yet, Rocky Mountain Power recently announced its plans to shut down its last two remaining coal-fired power plants in Utah. The company says that it plans to phase out coal power from the plants to meet federal pollution standards over the short term while building new, small-scale nuclear power plants as replacements for the long term. Although the Hunter and Huntington plants are set to close in the next decade, we have doubts about the feasibility and timeline of their proposed plans. Our official statement can be found here.