The Trump administration's proposal to repeal Biden-era carbon rules for power plants could lead to higher emissions in Georgia. The rules required existing coal plants to either install carbon capture or close by 2032, and new gas plants to run less often. Georgia Power had planned to retire its coal fleet but is now extending the life of some units. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, without the rules, new gas turbines could run 85% of the time instead of 40%, doubling emissions from those plants. In 2024, Plant Bowen and Plant Scherer emitted nearly 19 million tons of CO2 combined. The EPA's change is not final, and a lawsuit is pending.
