The way businesses and industries are regulated affects people and the economy. So our hugely experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest regulatory developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You will get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many of the forecasts online a few days afterward. Here’s the latest…
New emissions limits for fossil fuel-fired power plants are on the way.
The centerpiece of the Biden administration’s proposal is technology — specifically, carbon capture and storage, which is one of many ways regulators say that utilities can meet new emissions targets for gas and coal-fired power plants.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The Environmental Protection Agency also includes “co-firing” on its list of ways for power plants to comply. This basically involves burning a cleaner fuel alongside the main one, such as natural gas with coal, or hydrogen with natural gas.
Initial requirements would not kick in until 2030 for coal-fired power plants and 2032 for natural-gas plants and would vary based on several factors, including the size of a plant, how often it runs, its expected lifespan and whether it is new or existing.
Will plants be able to meet these targets?
The goal is to give tech time to catch up with the administration’s goals. But it’s still unclear whether carbon capture and green hydrogen will be ready when that time comes. For example, only two commercial coal power plants now supplying the U.S. grid employ carbon-capture tech. No gas-powered ones do.
Critics say the rules would increase electricity costs and hurt grid reliability by forcing more retirements of dispatchable grid resources — those that can more easily adjust their power output based on consumer demand, which includes gas and coal.
The Biden administration expects retail electricity prices to increase by 0.2% by 2035, fueled by utilities spending at least $10 billion to meet the proposed requirements. Also unclear: whether these regs could survive the inevitable legal challenge.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter. Since 1923, the Letter has helped millions of business executives and investors profit by providing reliable forecasts on business and the economy, as well as what to expect from Washington. Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe.
-
These Stocks Dipped in 2025. Do They Have Value?If you are looking to add new long-term positions to your portfolio, as you should, this is the time to examine stocks that the market shuns.
-
Striking Gold (or Gas): A Financial Pro Unpacks the Nuances of Energy InvestingInvesting in the energy industry, particularly oil and gas, involves understanding the facts about how projects generate returns through cash flow and long-term asset building, while also being aware of the risks.
-
Japan Enters a New Era of Risk and ReformThe Kiplinger Letter Japan has entered a pivotal moment in its economic history, undertaking ambitious policy and structural reforms to escape from decades of stagnation.
-
After Years of Stagnant Growth, Hope Emerges for EU EconomyThe Kiplinger Letter Can a German fiscal push outweigh French political peril?
-
Trump's Economic InterventionThe Kiplinger Letter What to Make of Washington's Increasingly Hands-On Approach to Big Business
-
AI Start-ups Are Rolling in CashThe Kiplinger Letter Investors are plowing record sums of money into artificial intelligence start-ups. Even as sales grow swiftly, losses are piling up for AI firms.
-
What is AI Worth to the Economy?The Letter Spending on AI is already boosting GDP, but will the massive outlays being poured into the technology deliver faster economic growth in the long run?
-
Kiplinger Special Report: Business Costs for 2026Economic Forecasts Fresh forecasts for 2026, to help you plan ahead and prepare a budget on a range of business costs, from Kiplinger's Letters team.
-
Trump-Era Regulations Will Broaden Access to CryptoThe Kiplinger Letter The president wants to make the U.S. the leader in digital assets.
-
Breaking China's Stranglehold on Rare Earth ElementsThe Letter China is using its near-monopoly on critical minerals to win trade concessions. Can the U.S. find alternate supplies?
