New regulations on greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power plants could harm the country’s energy economy, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said on Thursday.
Capito sent a letter to President Obama warning that new restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired power plants that are expected to be handed down next week by the Obama administration could have a devastating effect.
“I urge you to consider the impact that your administration’s existing coal plant rule will have on the people of my state of West Virginia who want to go to work, provide for their families, and produce affordable energy that powers our economy,” Capito said. “I urge you to think of the impact that higher electricity prices will have on senior citizens and others on fixed incomes. I urge you to step back and listen to the voices of those who will be harmed the most by the EPA’s rulemaking and avoid proposing a rule that will destroy economic opportunity in West Virginia and across our country.”
Capito said the EPA held 11 listening sessions on a potential greenhouse gas emission rule that would impact existing power plants, but none of the hearings were held in the 10 states that generate the most energy from coal.
“Washington should not pick winners and losers in the energy economy,” Capito said. “Even worse, if (the) administration goes forward with a plan similar to the one expected by many published reports, it will have chosen these winners and losers without so much as listening to the opinions of the Americans who will be harmed.”
Recent gains made in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the U.S. energy sector have been counteracted by increased emissions elsewhere in the world, Capito said.
“In 2012, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy production fell by 200 million tons, but this decrease was more than offset by China’s 300 million-ton increase in carbon dioxide emissions that same year,” Capito said. “Nations like China and India continue to place new coal capacity online at a rapid pace to power their domestic economies. Regulations that prevent our country from making use of coal to provide jobs and low-cost electricity will increasingly make us less competitive globally while having no significant impact on global carbon dioxide emissions.”