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Feds Seek 27 Percent Drop In Ala. Carbon Emissions

coal in transport bins
Arnoldius
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Wikimedia Commons
New federal government targets for reducing carbon emissions in individual states could impact Alabama's coal-fired plants.

The Obama administration wants Alabama to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by about 27 percent over the next 16 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced targets for reducing carbon emissions in individual states. It's a major part of the administration's effort to combat climate change.

In Alabama, the government says power plants produced 1,444 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour in 2012. The government wants to reduce that amount by about 27 percent by 2030.

The government says states will decide how to make the changes, and Alabama already has programs in place that can help.

Federal figures show Alabama got 30 percent of its electricity from coal in 2012, compared to nearly 37 percent that comes from natural gas plants.

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