12 States Encourage EPA to Implement a Meaningful Federal Program to Reduce GHG Emissions
February 28, 2018
On Monday, February 26, 2018, environmental and energy agency leaders from 12 states submitted comments urging the EPA to meaningfully regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and to recognize the successful strategies already used by states to reduce emissions in the power sector.
On December 28, 2017, the EPA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) soliciting comments on a range of topics related to developing a rule under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act that would replace the Clean Power Plan.
Officials from the following states signed the ANPRM comments, facilitated by the Georgetown Climate Center: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The letter discusses the need to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change and the EPA’s legal obligation to do so. It also emphasizes the importance of federal regulation in preventing a race to the bottom among states, and urged EPA to consider the emission reduction strategies states are already employing to significantly reduce emissions and increase economic growth.
The EPA proposed repealing the Clean Power Plan in October 2017, and is still accepting public comment on that proposal.
Additional State Comments on Federal Regulation of GHGs from the Power Sector
In addition to the letter facilitated by Georgetown Climate Center, state government leaders also submitted these letters commenting on the ANPRM.