New regulations will reduce emissions

New regulations for the coal industry in the Midwest of the US aiming to reduce emissions could reshape the energy industry.

A combination of Environmental Protection Agency rules set to come into force in the next few months and years and will restrict the toxins and pollutants power companies can send into the air, how they use water and how they can dispose of waste.

Coal plants in Tennessee and 26 other states will need to reduce emissions that cause air quality issues in downwind states as well as take steps to reduce the number of pollutants that cause cancer, neurological defects, heart and lung disease and other health problems, as well as preventing damage to animals, water systems and the air.

The regulations have been criticised and praised in equal measure, referred to as a "train wreck" by Ed Malley, a vice president at industry consulting firm TRC Corporation but also commended for reducing emissions.