Partnership Outlines Concerns with EPA Power Plant Regulations in House Testimony

Press Release
March 19, 2015

Media Contacts: Matt Letourneau, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Energy Institute, 202-463-5945 Mallory Micetich, National Association of Manufacturers  202-637-3085

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, Dan Byers testified on behalf of the Partnership for a Better Energy Future and its 177 members about a broad range of concerns with EPA’s proposed “Clean Power Plan” (CPP) rule.  Byers serves as senior director of policy for the Institute for 21st Century Energy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber’s Energy Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers are co-chairs of the Partnership.

Byers outlined concerns that EPA’s proposed regulations will increase energy prices and exacerbate reliability concerns which could hamper economic growth.

“The CPP threatens to cause serious harm to the U.S. economy, raising energy prices and costing jobs,” said Byers.  “Despite unequivocal statements from the EPA Administrator that nothing EPA does will threaten reliability, independent experts and key stakeholders are increasingly alarmed that the proposed CPP will in fact do exactly that: dramatically increase electrical grid stress and reliability challenges.”

Byers also noted that numerous states have raised serious objections with the rule.  For instance, 32 states raised reliability concerns, 34 object to EPA’s rushed regulatory timelines, and 40 states question the achievability of at least one of the “building blocks” on which the rule is based.

“If the fundamental flaws with the rule identified by states are left unaddressed, the end result will be a significantly more expensive, less reliable electricity system that will have negative repercussions across the entire U.S. economy,” Byers said.

Other concerns raised in Byers’ testimony included the legality of the rule itself and the fact that EPA’s approach could actually increase greenhouse gas emissions by driving manufacturing to less efficient countries.

Visit the Partnership for a Better Energy Future’s website here or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.  

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The Partnership for a Better Energy Future is leading the business and industrial community in support of a unified strategy and message in response to the Administration’s GHG regulatory agenda. The Partnership’s fundamental mission is to ensure the continued availability of reliable and affordable energy for American families and businesses.