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President Trump signed an executive order on April 8th exempting 68 coal-fired plants, including five in northwest North Dakota, from EPA mercury and toxic air emissions regulations until July 8, 2029. The order extends the previous 2027 deadline as coal plants say the technology that would fulfill requirements remains unproven, particularly for lignite coal plants. Environmental groups like Sierra Club argue this harms public health, yet industry representatives like the North Dakota Lignite Energy Council’s Jonathan Fortner counter that suitable technology for lignite plants doesn’t exist yet. North Dakota’s coal industry, which produces 55% of the state’s electricity with an economic impact of $5.5 billion and 12,000 jobs, claims it has already reduced mercury emissions by nearly 80% since 2015 and is one of four states that have never violated federal ambient air regulations, Fortner says.
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