Regional politicians including North Dakota senator John Hoeven and Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia’s attorney general, made statements against the measures, with Morrisey leading the filing of a petition in the US Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia circuit. Essentially, coal, the most affordable and abundant fuel used to generate electricity in the U.S.-and which now generates about 40% of the nation’s power supply-will be phased out in favor of higher priced and less reliable wind and solar. Instead, it seeks to impose a heavy-handed “solution” that will likely dismantle decades of carefully managed, localized energy regulation.
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Administered by the EPA, the Clean Power Plan establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants.
Ayotte is considered a more moderate Republican and represents a state that voted for President Barack Obama in the last two presidential elections.
NRECA and dozens of electric co-ops are challenging EPA’s Clean Power Plan in federal court, citing the rule’s potential to shutter coal plants. “Her support for the Clean Power Plan reflects her independent leadership and her steadfast commitment to advancing New Hampshire’s tradition of responsible environmental stewardship”.
She noted the Department of Environmental Services said New Hampshire has already taken steps to reduce emissions and is on track to meet its goals under the plan, and several businesses have expressed support for it, such as Smuttynose Brewing Company, Timberland and Worthen Industries.
The Clean Power Plan is now the law of the land. Ayotte could buck the pressure should she choose to, but obviously would rather me-too the issue and lose to Maggie Hassan next year. Sad. The plan requires states to tell EPA how they are engaging “meaningfully” with low-income communities during the CPP planning process and how their plans will address those communities’ needs for reduced carbon emissions. “Highway funds are very important, that wasn’t the right mechanism to enforce the plan”, Ayotte said, adding that the EPA has enforcement authority.
Ayotte came out in support of the plan now because it was recently finalized, she said.
In effect, the EPA is saying CPP will have no impact on New Hampshire’s power sector because the state is already pushing its own policies to cut carbon dioxide emissions. “Without protection from the court system, Seminole will need to begin making planning decisions as if our plants are going to be shut down….We’re just trying to keep the lights on in rural Florida”.
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Under the plan, which is up for a 60-day comment period, every state has an emissions target it is required to meet to be in compliance with the EPA.
