The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity has criticised the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to delay regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power units under its Clean Power Plan to by mid-summer 2015.
The EPA also unveiled plans to create a new federal model optional for states to implement under the proposed standards. The regulations were due in June.
“Rather than looking to work together to reach commonsense and practical energy guidelines in 2015, the administration is doubling down on its climate crusade at the expense of our economy and our people,” said Mike Duncan, president and CEO of ACCCE. “The administration is turning a deaf ear to mounting concerns being raised by energy experts, grid operators and state officials and is instead continuing its ‘go at it alone’ mentality—all to fulfill a misguided presidential legacy.”
The proposed regulations have been the subject of serious concerns at the state level, with officials in many states calling into question the legality and reliability issues associated with the proposed rule. In addition, as of last fall a total of thirteen attorneys general and fifteen governors had reached out to the EPA and President Barack Obama requesting that the agency withdraw its proposed carbon rule.
In October, NERA Economic Consulting released new analysis projecting significant negative economic impacts resulting from EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan. The report, which relies on conservative data and often EPA’s own assumptions, showed double-digit energy cost increases as a result of the agency’s regulations.
Coal provides nearly 40% of electric power in the US, making it the most used feedstock for electricity generation. The coal-based power industry has led in developing ways to use our most reliable, affordable and abundant energy resource more cleanly and efficiently than ever before, investing nearly US$120 billion so far to reduce emissions by 90 percent and putting in an additional $27 billion between now and 2016.