Is carbon capture ready to rein in coal emissions?

On Friday, the EPA rolled out long-awaited emissions rules that, if approved, would require coal and some gas power plants to capture at least 90% of their carbon emissions by 2030 or face shutdown.

The plan would curb a huge chunk of U.S. carbon emissions, albeit not for several more years. But there are a few major hurdles in the way, including the question of whether carbon capture is ready for the job. Fossil fuel companies have insisted for years that they can keep running business as usual if they capture and store their emissions, and with this rule, experts say the EPA is essentially asking them to prove it.

There would be a few exemptions to the rules, including for coal plants planning to retire by 2040 and peaker plants that only run when electricity demand is high. (The latter tend to be located in communities of color and other vulnerable neighborhoods, leaving them to face continued pollution.)

West Virginia’s Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is not a fan of the proposed rules, saying he’d oppose every one of the EPA’s nominees unless the agency scales them back. What Manchin hasn’t said is that his family coal business would suffer if coal plants shut down.