Fred Upton says Clean Power Plan is just cap-and-trade bill in disguise

During a recent House Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing chaired by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) compared the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to Democrats’ failed attempt to pass a cap-and-trade bill to reduce emissions 

Part of the failed American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, the cap-and-trade measure would have set a cap on the amount of greenhouse gases that could be emitted nationally with companies buying or selling permits to emit these gases. 

“The American people recognized cap-and-trade for what it was, a massive economy-wide energy tax, and Congress wisely listened to them,” Upton was reported as saying at the hearing by The Washington Examiner. 

The Clean Power Plan would allow the EPA to impose a cap-and-trade system if a state doesn’t comply with the program by next fall. 

“The Obama administration is attempting to regulate where it failed to legislate with EPA issuing final rules to regulate carbon dioxide from new and existing fossil fuel-fired plants,” Upton reportedly said.  “I didn’t support the legislative version of cap and trade, and I don’t feel any better about today’s regulatory equivalent.”

The subcommittee will continue its examination of the EPA’s plan on Oct. 22.