nation’s energy sector. The rules are estimated to cost the economy billions of dollars, and even EPA admits they will make electricity more expensive for consumers and businesses. EPA’s proposed carbon dioxide standards for new power plants are so stringent they would essentially impose a de facto ban on the construction of new coal-fired power plants in America. The rule requires coal plants to be built using costly carbon capture and sequestration technologies that have not yet been proven to be commercially viable, and notwithstanding express statutory prohibitions under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. EPA’s proposed rule for existing coal-fired power plants has even more immediate impacts for states and consumers. It requires states to submit for approval state or regional energy plans to meet federally mandated emissions targets. Asserting unprecedented regulatory authority, EPA is telling states how they can generate and use electricity. Implementing this new rule will force even more of the nation’s power plants to shut down and put thousands of workers out of a job, all the while raising electricity prices and diminishing America’s global competitiveness. The committee has been conducting hearings and
exercising oversight relating to the development of these destructive power plant regulations, and the House passed legislation authored by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) to stave off their harmful consequences. The bipartisan Electricity Security and Affordability Act would require that any greenhouse gas standards set by EPA for new coal-fired plants be achievable by commercial power plants operating in the real world. The bill also provides that Congress would set the effective date for EPA’s existing plants rule to ensure that a rule is not pushed through without the economic impacts being fully understood and debated. The bottom line: EPA is regulating too much too fast – and the results could be disastrous for consumers and our broader economy. There is simply too much at stake to let these rules slip by. The House will continue to put forward commonsense solutions that make energy more affordable, and conduct aggressive oversight to hold EPA accountable and bring greater transparency to the agency’s regulatory process. RF Fred Upton represents the 6th District of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee.
PLAN . PROTECT. PROSPER. The Power of Propane
Learn more at www.NPGA.org 18
RIPON FORUM September 2014