It’s no real surprise that in the waning years of the Obama Administration, great strides are being made by extreme environmentalists to continue waging their war on coal.
In the latest round of proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations under the auspices of the Clean Air Act, coal continues to be behind the proverbial eight ball.
The EPA would like to reduce greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal plants by 30% by 2030, using 2005 levels. However, this is a direct salvo on Virginia’s coal-fired plants.
“It is clear from the data that fossil fuels will continue to be used and that President Obama’s example will do nothing more but hurt the welfare of Americans, while doing nothing to change the temperature or the climate,” said The Institute for Energy Research.
Because of this proposal, The Heritage Foundation requests that “Congress should prohibit the EPA and all other agencies from regulating [greenhouse gasses] emissions and instead work to remove regulatory impediments that prevent industries from making efficiency upgrades.”
Additionally, the EPA is proposing tightening the regulations related to ground-level ozone, which is the primary component of smog. Ground-level ozone is formed from the combustion of fuel from cars, power plants and other industrial plants, as well as non-manmade sources like plants, forest fires, and ozone from the stratosphere migrating to ground level.
The EPA has set standards, known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), for six major pollutants, including ozone. And, every five years, the EPA is required by law to review and, if appropriate, revise these standards. The EPA plans to tighten the NAAQS for ground-level ozone from the current 75 parts per billion (ppb) to between 60 and 70 ppb, or even lower. However, just this year, a federal court ruled that the current standard is adequate at protecting human health.
This potential new rule is likely to have have significant impacts on Virginia businesses, particularly manufacturers. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the potential impact of this new EPA regulation is:
* $46 billion in Gross State Product Loss through 2040
* 36,123 fewer Virginia jobs (or job equivalents) each year through 2040
* $11 billion increase in total compliance costs across all state sectors from 2017 – 2040
* $990 more paid by Virginia households annually in the form of lost consumption
* Up to 32 percent increase in household natural gas prices and up to 15 percent increase in household electricity prices nationwide. And,
* An estimated shutdown of 31 Percent of Virginia’s coal-fired generating capacity
Again the Heritage Foundation asks that Congress intervene. “The EPA is chasing marginal benefits in air quality at great cost to the American people. … Congress should prohibit funding for the implementation of any new ozone standard.”
A graphic example of the affect of these proposed changes can be found from Count on Coal.
To discuss and explain the new changes, former Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Department of the Interior Doug Domenech, joins us on Virginia Politics On Demand.
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In the podcast, Domenech mentions an independent study performed by the State Corporation Commission that found these new rules will cost Virginians upwards of $6 billion.
Last week, Speaker of the House of Delegates William Howell said of the rules and the SCC analysis:
“The independent, nonpartisan analysis of the State Corporation Commission confirms that President Obama’s environmental policies could devastate Virginia’s economy,” said Speaker Howell. “The proposed EPA rule will kill jobs and drive energy costs through the roof for Virginia families and businesses. The SCC’s analysis makes clear that, as written, the EPA’s rule will force Virginia utility companies to close down reliable power plants that generate affordable electricity and replace them expensive and unreliable alternatives. Virginia’s families and businesses will be forced to cover these costs to the tune of billions of dollars in higher electricity bills. These higher costs will hurt our senior citizens, hospitals, small businesses and large manufacturers.”
“Every Virginia elected official should oppose this burdensome and costly proposal,” Speaker Howell added. “I encourage Governor Terry McAuliffe and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to reach out directly to the administration and oppose this rule. Virginia families and businesses simply cannot afford $6 billion in higher energy costs.”
This last point was echoed by Domenech and, not surprisingly, GOP candidate for US Senate, Ed Gillespie:
“The Obama-Warner policies squeeze hard-working Virginians between lost jobs, stagnant wages, or fewer working hours and rising prices for health care, energy, and food. Mark Warner voted to let the EPA regulate carbon, and now refuses to fight massive new EPA rules that will hammer hard-working Virginians with higher electric bills. The 1.2 million Virginia households making less than $50,000 a year already pay an average of 20% of their income in energy costs, and poor Virginians pay even more. Virginians have a clear choice between my policies to unleash American energy and reduce energy costs, versus Senator Warner’s support for a ‘price on carbon.’”
While Domenech and Howell state that calling Warner might have an affect on these policies, the only real way to follow-through on what the Heritage Foundation is suggesting – getting Congress to intervene – is to deliver a GOP legislature. And, here in Virginia, that means electing Ed Gillespie.
