California regulators approved rules Thursday banning power companies from buying electricity from high-polluting sources, including most out-of-state coal-burning plants.
The rules -- aimed at reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to global warming -- could have a far-reaching effect on the energy market across the West.
While there are almost no coal-fired plants in California, the nation's most populous state, about 20 percent of the state's electricity comes from coal plants in other Western states.
The Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to prohibit utilities and other energy providers from entering into long-term contracts with sources that emit more carbon dioxide than a modern natural gas plant.
I am not a fan of coal, so I ahve little objections from that PoV. On the other hand, I have to wonder about what this will do to power costs here in Cali.
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