Jackson Walker partner Mike Nasi was featured on a podcast on The Heartland Institute’s website about the impact of certain clean air regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In the “Heartland Daily Podcast: Mike Nasi – EPA Clean Air Regulations,” published on Oct. 13, 2014, Mr. Nasi discussed controversial new standards proposed by the EPA that would apply to new and existing power plants and could have a significant effect on future energy capacity.
“If you look at Texas,” Mr. Nasi said, “EPA’s models project that by the year 2020 – again very close in time and really too soon to be able to build other power plants to replace this power – EPA projects that 16,565 megawatts of gas and coal are going to be forced into retirement in the Texas fleet.” He added that this amounts to over half of the Texas coal fleet.
“That amount of generation is considered by Electric Reliability Council of Texas to be an insurmountable amount in terms of deficit of power,” Mr. Nasi said.
Mr. Nasi is a partner with the Environmental and Legislative Affairs practice group in the Austin office of Jackson Walker, where he practices environmental law in the areas of air, water, reclamation and waste management and manages the firm’s air quality practice. As part of the firm’s Environmental and Energy practice groups, Mr. Nasi secures environmental permits for and is active in state and federal policy development on behalf of corporations, governmental entities, and cooperatives in the electric power generation, mining, oil & gas, steel manufacturing, and recycling industries. Mr. Nasi has been practicing before state and federal environmental and energy agencies and the Texas Legislature for more than 21 years in Austin.