Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its new rule requiring existing power plants to cut their greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030:
“While these extreme regulations will have little discernible impact on global emission levels, they will have an enormously negative impact on families here at home. A recent study suggests EPA’s new regulations could drive up yearly electric bills by an average of $200 per family and almost a quarter million jobs could be lost through 2030. In Nebraska alone, coal-related industries are responsible for almost 23,000 jobs and generate nearly $4.9 billion in economic output. Because Nebraska is a public power state, Nebraska taxpayers will be on the hook twice – once for the cost to retrofit our plants and then again for the increased cost to power our homes and businesses. In reality the price of goods and services will go up as well as costs are passed on to consumers.
“I have repeatedly called on the president to work with, rather than around, Congress to find solutions that will actually benefit both our environment and our economy. Achieving the right balance requires input from the American people, Congress, and stakeholders from both sides. Unfortunately, the president has sided with the interests of a billionaire environmentalist, ignoring the pocketbook concerns of middle class families. I will continue my efforts to ensure Nebraskans – the administration’s chosen losers in this battle – have a voice in regulations that hurt our state’s families and jeopardize our access to affordable, reliable electricity.”
On May 22, Fischer and Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) led a bipartisan group of 47 senators in requesting EPA to extend the public comment period for its proposed regulation of GHGs from existing power plants. Their letter has yet to receive a response from EPA.
Former EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, has publicly stated during a hearing of the Senate EPW Committee in 2009 that any unilateral U.S. action to address greenhouse emissions will not have any impact on global emission levels. A recent study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce details the economic impact of EPA’s proposed regulations, which will hurt our nation’s economy, hardworking families, and energy-related jobs. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also published a study citing the significant role of coal-fired power plants and coal-related industries in economic output and job creation in Nebraska.
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