U.S. to seek 30 percent cut in power-plant carbon pollution

By Valerie Volcovici and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans on Monday to propose a 30 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions from the country’s existing power plants by 2030, people briefed on the proposal told Reuters. Word of some of the proposal’s components came before Monday’s unveiling by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. They mark the most sweeping and significant environmental regulations introduced by the Obama administration. Although states will be given different targets to meet depending on the carbon intensity of their current power plants, the power sector would need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent on average by 2020 and hit the 30 percent target 10 years later, the sources said.