ott 38) that are of crucial interest to the power industry. "The regulations now exist in name only; they were effectively eliminated by a series of rule changes that the Bush administration made out of the public eye in 2002 and 2003" (Barcott 38).
             According to N.S.R., new power plants must adhere to strict emissions guidelines. This requires that new sources of power install scrubbers and other expensive equipment to limit how much toxins are released into the air. N.S.R. was not specific about older plants already in operation, leaving emissions from pre-existing plants in a gray area. Prior to Bush taking office, the Clinton administration interpreted N.S.R. legislation to mean all new sources of power. This interpretation strongly favored environmentalists, because it included "not just construction of newer plants, but modifications of older facilities" (Drew 1). In other words, if an existing plant were modified to add some new capacity, then under the administration that preceded Bush that plant would be required to meet the new emissions standards. While the intent of the interpretation was to protect the environment in the best way possible, it made power company operations more difficult and expensive.
             Energy companies – struggling to operate in a depressed domestic economy while facing the increased demands of global competition – felt the sting of such a strict interpretation. The energy companies found it cheaper to expand their existing plants rather than build new ones. However, pouring sums of money into expensive scrubbing equipment to meet N.S.R. regulations made it difficult to keep the profits up and make shareholders happy.
             Energy corporations looked for loopholes to modify their plants without the expensive upgrades required by N.S.R., even while "the judicial system of the late 90s worked to make power companies toe the line" (Barcott 38). Lots of lawsuits were im...