Massachusetts’s six oldest and dirtiest power plants must halve their emissions and become as clean and efficient as new plants within three years, Gov. Paul Cellucci (R) announced yesterday. The federal Clean Air Act exempts plants built before 1977 from meeting current pollution limits, but Massachusetts will now become the first state to require its plants to exceed the federal standards. The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group said that the six coal-burning facilities are currently responsible for more than 90 percent of the power-plant pollution in the state. Utility executives yesterday blessed Cellucci’s plan, saying environmental improvements make good business sense now that deregulation has increased competition and customers’ options in the state.
