Texas power plants cannot ignore pollution rules during maintenance

US environmental regulators rejected a Texas plan that would have allowed power plants to pollute more during maintenance. This means Texas power plants must now follow continuous emission limits, even when starting up or shutting down.

For years, some power plants have argued that pollution rules should not apply during maintenance, startup, and shutdown periods. This decision means that argument no longer holds for Texas. It sets a precedent that emission limits must apply all the time, regardless of operational status.