Colorado Coal Industry Likely To Shrink Under Obama Power Plant Rules

Photo: Craig Station coal plant
The Craig Station is a coal power plant run by Tri-State Generation and Transmission.

Colorado's production of coal is already at a 20-year low and would likely decrease even more under President Barack Obama's proposed Clean Power Plan.

Chart: Coal production, total U.S. and regional, govt
Why the worry over power plants? Because they are responsible for almost 31 percent of U.S. carbon emissions -- more than every car, truck and plane in the U.S. combined according to EPA figures.

If the plan avoids pitfalls (as it did Tuesday), it could cut power plant emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.