EPA to release final carbon emissions ruling today

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release on Monday a final rule aimed at reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

The EPA wants power plants to reduce roughly 30 percent of their carbon emissions by 2030, but each state will have a different percentage based on its capacity to reduce emissions. Minnesota's could be as high as 42 percent.

Utilities will have to decide the best way to achieve reduced emissions, such as by retiring coal-fired power plants or acquiring more renewable energy.

"We're hopeful that we can work with the state in developing the state's compliance plan in a way that assures our customers aren't overly burdened with cost, and that we can comply in a way that assures the reliability of our system," said Laura mcCarten, senior vice president at Xcel Energy.

Utilities, electricity customers and state officials will work over the next couple of years to come up with a plan to submit to the EPA.