Agency Leaders For 14 States Oppose Trump Administration's Clean Power Plan Replacement

On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, leaders of environment and energy agencies for 14 states issued a unified statement opposing the Trump Administration’s proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan with a framework that fails to reduce carbon pollution from power plants and puts their citizens at risk from the dangerous impacts of climate change. The statement to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler was facilitated by Georgetown Climate Center.

The letter’s signers, whose states total 123 million people and comprise over 43 percent of the U.S. economy, make clear the need to reduce carbon pollution, as their states are already experiencing the harmful effects of climate change, including increased wildfires, severe heatwaves, and costly storms.  In the letter, the agency leaders cite the EPA’s duty under the Clean Air Act to protect citizens from dangerous air pollution and reaffirm their support for the EPA’s approach under the Clean Power Plan, which relied on the innovative strategies that power plants are already implementing to reduce emissions. Under the EPA’s own analysis, the Trump Administration’s replacement proposal would not effectively address carbon pollution from power plants.

Several governors also responded to the Trump Administration's proposed replacement of the Clean Power Plan.

In April 2018, a bipartisan group of 13 states urged the Trump Administration against repealing the Clean Power Plan, which was projected to spur economic development, protect citizens from the worsening effects of climate change, and reduce harmful air pollution.

State_Energy_Environment_Leaders_CPP-replacement_initial-response_August 21_2018_FINAL.pdf