The Environmental Protection Agency has released new standards for carbon emissions for power plants burning coal and natural gases. Some energy experts and legislators warn that this move will reduce power reliability and artificially raise electricity costs for consumers.

The new regulations, announced on Thursday, will aim to reduce particulate matter in the atmosphere and avoid 617 millions metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2042. This is the same amount as the emissions from half of America’s cars. According to the Energy Information Administration, the proposed limits “require ambitious carbon pollution reductions based on proven, cost-effective control technology” at coal and gas plants that account for 60% power generation in the United States.

Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, said in a release that by proposing new standards on fossil fuel-fired plants the EPA was delivering on its goal to reduce harmful pollutants that threaten people’s health. “EPA’s proposals rely on readily available, proven technologies to reduce carbon pollution. They also take advantage of the momentum that is already in place within the power sector for a cleaner and more sustainable future. These proposals, along with the historic investments being made in America for clean energy manufacturing, deployment and protection, will deliver enormous benefits to Americans, cutting climate pollutants and other harmful pollution, protecting people’s lives, and driving American Innovation.

In the release, it was claimed that the new rules would result in “climate and health benefits” of $85 billion dollars over the next 20 years. They also claim to prevent premature deaths and hospitalizations as a direct result of reduced particulate emissions. For weeks, the new rules were widely anticipated.

The Daily Wire quoted Jason Isaac, director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He said that the new regulations were “far-reaching”, and would inevitably increase the cost of electricity for consumers.

Isaac stated that carbon capture technologies were so expensive, they would result in the abrupt retirement of reliable generators and nothing could replace them. “This is an example of a non-elected executive agency running amok with a singular agenda to eliminate fossil fuels, control how we produce and use energy, regardless of costs or consequences. All while doing nothing about mitigating a changing climate.”

The Supreme Court may not rule for several years and the new standards will cause “a lot of damage” to power grids. Steve Milloy is a senior lawyer at the Energy and Environmental Legal Institute. He told The Daily Wire the regulations “have no chance” of standing up to scrutiny.

The Biden administration established a “whole of government effort” to reduce emissions in both the public and private sector. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has recently expressed support for a policy which would see the military relying exclusively on electric vehicles by 2030.

West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin announced Wednesday that he will oppose any EPA nominees from the White House, until the rules for power plants are reversed.

The lawmaker stated that “this administration is determined to further its radical climate agenda, and they have made it clear that they are hell-bent on doing all of their power to regulate gas and coal-fueled power stations out of existence. No matter what the cost is to energy security or reliability,” he said.