Rick Perry's proposal would upend years of power reform

Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s proposed rule to prop up coal and nuclear plants looks to upset two decades of electricity market reforms, while potentially stifling the development of natural gas power plants that have become a leading source of the nation’s electricity.

Although Perry has said he meant the rule to begin “a conversation,” that hasn’t stopped the proposal from moving forward at unprecedented speed while prompting a major backlash from a broad swath of the energy industry.