WITH CO2 RULES ON TAP, BILL SETS COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK
Jun 4, 2014 12:00 AM
2014-06-04T00:00:00
WITH CO2 RULES ON TAP, BILL SETS COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK
Pres. Barack Obama is expected to announce later today highly anticipated, new carbon
pollution standards for existing coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants. Already, the
Ohio House is considering legislation, House Bill 506,that establishes reasonable
guidelines for Ohio EPA to follow in developing its plan for achieving the new standards.
The Ohio Chamber expressed our support for HB 506 in testimony submitted to the
House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week.
The new standards are a central part of the president’s 2013 Climate Action Plan, and
they could require existing power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
by as much as 20 percent. The regulations that will need to be developed to achieve
compliance threaten to be among the most costly in the history of the federal EPA, and
are likely to be most harmful to regions most dependent on coal for electricity – places
like Ohio, where in 2013 coal was used to generate 70 percent of our electricity.
U.S. EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act is limited to issuing national emissions
standards, along with guidelines for states to use in developing plans to implement them.
But states possess primary responsibility for determining specific compliance methods.
As a result, Ohio EPA will create the performance standards for CO2 emissions from
existing Ohio power plants and submit a plan to U.S. EPA for approval by July 1, 2016.
HB 506, sponsored by Reps. Andy Thompson and Jack Cera, sets some basic
parameters for Ohio EPA to follow in an effort to minimize the harmful economic impacts
of compliance. It requires the agency to set CO2 emissions standards based on what is
achievable through efficiency improvements and other sensible measures that can be
undertaken at individual electric generating units. It also permits Ohio EPA to adopt less
stringent standards or utilize a longer compliance schedule than established by the
federal government. Most importantly, it ensures that Ohio EPA takes into consideration
energy reliability and cost to ratepayers.
HB 506 is scheduled for a committee vote tomorrow, and could be on the floor for a vote
by the full House later in the week. Ohio EPA has said the compliance plan it will craft
may be the most complex state plan ever developed. Unfortunately, it is Ohio citizens
and Ohio employers who will ultimately pay the price of these costly regulations.
Ohio Chamber Staff Contact: Keith Lake, klake@ohiochamber.com
Pres. Barack Obama is expected to announce later today highly anticipated, new carbon
pollution standards for existing coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants. Already, the
Ohio House is considering legislation, House Bill 506,that establishes reasonable
guidelines for Ohio EPA to follow in developing its plan for achieving the new standards.
The Ohio Chamber expressed our support for HB 506 in testimony submitted to the
House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week.
The new standards are a central part of the president’s 2013 Climate Action Plan, and
they could require existing power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
by as much as 20 percent. The regulations that will need to be developed to achieve
compliance threaten to be among the most costly in the history of the federal EPA, and
are likely to be most harmful to regions most dependent on coal for electricity – places
like Ohio, where in 2013 coal was used to generate 70 percent of our electricity.
U.S. EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act is limited to issuing national emissions
standards, along with guidelines for states to use in developing plans to implement them.
But states possess primary responsibility for determining specific compliance methods.
As a result, Ohio EPA will create the performance standards for CO2 emissions from
existing Ohio power plants and submit a plan to U.S. EPA for approval by July 1, 2016.
HB 506, sponsored by Reps. Andy Thompson and Jack Cera, sets some basic
parameters for Ohio EPA to follow in an effort to minimize the harmful economic impacts
of compliance. It requires the agency to set CO2 emissions standards based on what is
achievable through efficiency improvements and other sensible measures that can be
undertaken at individual electric generating units. It also permits Ohio EPA to adopt less
stringent standards or utilize a longer compliance schedule than established by the
federal government. Most importantly, it ensures that Ohio EPA takes into consideration
energy reliability and cost to ratepayers.
HB 506 is scheduled for a committee vote tomorrow, and could be on the floor for a vote
by the full House later in the week. Ohio EPA has said the compliance plan it will craft
may be the most complex state plan ever developed. Unfortunately, it is Ohio citizens
and Ohio employers who will ultimately pay the price of these costly regulations.
Ohio Chamber Staff Contact: Keith Lake, klake@ohiochamber.com