By Eli Hopson and David Pettit

The nation’s coal fleet is getting older and will become subject to a looming suite of regulatory requirements issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (a/k/a “Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology” or Utility MACT) and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). Given these EPA rules and the entry of more efficient, lower-cost generation and demand response resource competitors, many coal plants are expected…