WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following comment on the release of draft climate regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“While I am still reviewing the full rule, it’s clear that the administration has decided to try to outlaw coal – one of America’s most abundant, affordable and secure energy resources,” Murkowski said. “The administration is using this new rule to accomplish what Congress refused to impose on the economy when it rejected cap-and-trade legislation. The result will be higher electricity prices and less reliable generation in addition to the high gasoline prices Americans are already struggling to afford.”

The EPA has promulgated these rules as a result of the endangerment finding that Murkowski sought to overturn with a disapproval resolution under the Congressional Review Act, and under the New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) program of the Clean Air Act (CAA). One of the NSPS requirements is that power generation facilities utilize EPA-mandated “best available control technology” to reduce emissions of any substance that becomes subject to regulation under the CAA.

“The EPA has continuously overstepped its authority and has abandoned all pretense of considering the cost versus benefit of its regulations. Today’s rule is no exception. In this case, the agency is mandating that new power plants utilize as ‘best available control technology’ something that is not even commercially available,” Murkowski said. “It’s imperative that Congress continue working to rein in an agency that is so clearly overreaching it’s congressionally granted authority.” 

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 For further information, please contact Robert Dillon at 202.224.6977 or Robert_dillon@energy.senate.gov or Megan Hermann at 202.224.7875 or Megan_Hermann@energy.senate.gov.

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