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EPA Announces Proposed Rule Action to Revise ELG's and Support Reliable, Affordable Coal-fired Power Plants

LCG, May 14, 2026--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is proposing a rule to revise wastewater limits, known as effluent limitations guidelines (ELG), for steam electric power plants that will help improve grid reliability and lower electricity prices while continuing to support clean and safe water resources. If finalized, the EPA's proposal is estimated to reduce electricity generation costs by as much as $1.1 billion annually, which could provide cost-savings to American consumers.

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DOE Awards $94 Million to Eight American Companies to Accelerate SMR Deployments and Develop Supply Chain

LCG, May 14, 2026--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of eight companies to support the near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs) in the United States. The DOE states that awardees will collectively receive more than $94 million in Federal cost-shared funding to spur additional Gen III+ SMR deployments by addressing key gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry in licensing, supply chain, and site preparation.

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Industry News

TVA Gets Sued over Dirty Coal-Burners

LCG, July 11, 2000--The federal governments Tennessee Valley Authority, which owns some of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the U.S., is being sued by the National Parks Conservation Association because two of its plants have fouled Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Great Smokies were named by the Cherokee Indians after a blue haze prevalent in the area, long before TVA built its first power plant.

The NPCA said it is suing TVAs 1,600 megawatt Kingston plant which burns 3.8 tons of coal yearly and its 800 megawatt John Sevier plant which consumes 2 million tons of coal a year to force them to clean up their operations.

"Great Smoky is the most polluted park in the United States," said Tom Kiernan, NPCA president. "Coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of this pollution. As a major regional source of air pollution, TVA must take responsibility for their impact to the park."

The Kingston and John Sevier plants were "grandfathered" from most provisions of the Clean Air Act, as were a number of other TVA plants. Environmental Protection Agency data from 1998 showed TVAs Chattanooga plant to be the industrial facility emitting the most oxides of nitrogen in the U.S. and its Cumberland plant to be the worst offender in emissions of sulphur dioxide.

The EPA recently initiated legal action against TVA for allegedly making modifications to its coal-fired plants without installing modern pollution control equipment.

Don Barger, NPCAs regional director for the Southeast, said "Our intent is to ensure that any future pollution reductions made by TVA help address the serious air pollution problem at Great Smoky Mountains National Park."

The NPCA has been around since 1919, keeping an eye on the national park system, and has more than 400,000 members.

TVA is a New Deal agency, formed in the 1930s to harness the Tennessee River and provide hydroelectric power to the region.

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