longer.blue

“ Trump administration has propped up nearly half of America’s coal plants with taxpayer money and “free passes to pollute,” according to a new analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund. The analysis found that 90 of the 184 grid-connected coal plants received help through “cash handouts, free passes to pollute, and requirements to stay online past their retirement dates.” The administration handed $950 million in taxpayer dollars to 24 plants and gave 70 plants exemptions from Clean Air Act limits on toxic pollution, the Guardian reports. One exempted plant, WA Parish outside Houston, was found in a 2018 Rice University study to cause as many as 177 premature deaths a year. “It’s like Americans are getting hit twice,” said EDF’s Surbhi Sarang, pointing to both higher electricity costs and more pollution. The White House says Trump has “saved more than 100 coal plants” and praised “beautiful, clean coal.” via Aaron Parnas newsletter.