Colorado regulators say they will press forward on President Barack Obama’s plan to curtail emissions from coal-fired power plants, despite a temporary pause issued by the U.S. Supreme Court for the Clean Power Plan this week.
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Utah’s Deseret Power electric cooperative and the state of Utah oppose new regulations targeting the pollution blamed for climate change, and both joined other states and organizations in requesting the stay.
The suspended regulation was offered as part of a USA promise at last year’s Paris climate talks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions a third by 2030.
With the court staying the regulations, an inference could be drawn that the same shall not be implemented until a decision is arrived on its legality.
Environmental groups from the Natural Resources Defense Council to the Sierra Club decried the stay and expressed confidence the plan would eventually be approved by the courts. The White House released a statement disagreeing with the decision, and it expressed confidence that the plan will be upheld.
Read the order here. But the reality is that many states and power companies will continue to plan for the clean energy future they all know is coming. A federal appeals court will ultimately decide whether the rules are legal, and that could take a while. But the court rejected that motion, spurring the states to submit a brief late in January asking the Supreme Court to block the implementation of the plan.
“We are thrilled that the Supreme Court realized the rule’s immediate impact and froze its implementation, protecting workers and saving countless dollars as our fight against its legality continues”.
In a statement, Brnovich says the Clean Power Plan is regulation without representation.
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“The Clean Power Plan represented the most aggressive federal effort thus far to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change”. The court’s ruling on this issue is a strong sign that the president’s opponents have made a strong and good argument regarding the issue.
