The energy industry has recently fired off a media salvo against the Environmental Protection Agency, calling two new rules potentially “catastrophic” for the nation’s energy needs. Many in the energy industry claim that the new EPA rules, both air-pollution rules regarding power plants, would cause many plants to close down or go offline in order to be upgraded to fall in line with the new regulations. The result, according to their industry report, would cause massive blackouts and destabilize the nation’s power grid. The energy industry’s doomsday report was investigated by the Department of Energy. The findings were that the report was somewhat overstated.

Modeling conducted by the DOE as a “stress test” on the nation’s power grid found that, in reality, the new EPA rules would still provide adequate energy for the majority of the nation, while a few localized areas would need to bolster their energy needs. “Resource adequacy would not be compromised," read the DOE report, according to Christian Science Monitor. The report found that some local areas may need to provide further energy production. Texas, for instance, which is home to some of the oldest coal-fired power plants in the country, will need to provide additional natural-gas powered energy production.

The two new rules seek to limit the toxins that many power plants are spewing into the atmosphere. One rule, The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, reduces the permissible emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide poisons into the air in eastern states, going into effect Jan. 1^st with three years of transition available. The other, Mercury and Air Toxics Rule, requires power plants to filter out Mercury and other poisons.

Industry experts say that the DOE modeling was flawed, not taking into account a number of variables affecting the health of the energy grid. “"DOE’s new review limited itself only to resource adequacy, which DOE admits is just one component of reliability assessment,” Scott Segal of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council said in a statement, accusing the DOE of ignoring plant retirements and transmission capabilities in their study.

Regardless, the DOE maintains its position and the EPA rules, as of now, are still slated to go into effect next year. Gina MCCarthy, of the Office of Air and Radiation, dismisses many of the energy industry groups’ complaints. “The EPA has done this for the last 40 years. We make sure the lights stay on.”