Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) testified before a panel of EPA officials on Tuesday that carbon emission regulations on existing coal-fired power plants would lead to widespread job loss across various industries.
In June, Capito co-sponsored a bill that would block the EPA’s “Clean Power Plan,” which aims to reduce carbon pollution in the energy sector to 30 percent below emission levels in 2005. The Protection and Accountability Regulatory Act would also prohibit similar proposals for the next five years without congressional approval, according to a press release.
“A recent report from the Institute for Energy Research found that electricity prices in West Virginia could increase by more than 50 percent by 2020, even before including the effects of today’s proposed rule,” Capito said. “This rule, which would cause even more coal capacity to be taken offline, would increase energy costs for consumers across the country. We saw this with the European Union’s carbon regulations, which increased residential electricity prices by 55 percent between 2005 and 2013.”
Capito said 5,000 coal mining jobs were lost in West Virginia between 2012 and 2014, and the proposed carbon emission regulations would put “many more jobs at risk” in the state.
“Because of the energy intensive nature of manufacturing, low-cost American energy helps keep jobs in the United States – jobs our economy desperately needs,” Capito said. “Coal miners and power plant workers aren’t the only workers who lose under the proposed rule. Forfeiting our energy advantage will send more American manufacturing jobs overseas and hurt workers all across the economy.”
Capito said the EPA held 11 listening sessions on the proposed rule – but not one listening session was held in the 10 states that rely on coal energy most.
“This proposed rule threatens West Virginia’s economic survival,” Capito said. “I will continue to lead efforts in Congress to stop this disastrous rule, and I promise you that my state and its people will also fight this proposed rule every step of the way.”