Charleston, WV – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly finalized rules regarding U.S. power plants.

“It is obvious that the ultimate goal of these EPA regulations is to stop the use of fossil fuels to produce reliable energy in the United States by forcing the premature closure of coal plants and blocking new natural gas plants. The Administration is more frightened by political threats from climate activists than by the warnings from our nation’s electricity reliability regulators and grid operators that these rules will further strain our already at-risk power grid. It is unfortunate, though no longer unexpected, that in an election year they are trying to score short term political points rather than prioritizing long term reliability. This approach comes at the expense of ratepayers across the country and energy communities, like those in West Virginia that have powered our nation for generations. Let me be clear: American taxpayers will be forced to pay for these rules by purchasing unaffordable and unreliable energy. That makes no sense at all when America is producing record amounts of energy cleaner than ever. 

“Their goal is simple: death by a thousand cuts to America’s fossil fuel industry, especially coal. If the goal was truly to reduce emissions, the Administration would be doing everything it can to deploy carbon capture and hydrogen and help the fossil industry continue to produce cleaner energy. But instead, the radical climate advisors at the White House and EPA have allowed over 120 permits for carbon sequestration wells to sit idle and put up roadblocks to deploying clean hydrogen which can help plants reduce emissions. In fact, they have even gone so far as to remove hydrogen blending from the final rule.

“This comes against the backdrop of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chips and Science Act bringing manufacturing back to America and causing a significant growth in electricity demand forecasts for the first time in two decades. We can’t be open for business if we can’t keep the lights on. When the Administration is playing favorites with the law and blocking all of the opportunities to include fossil fuels in a low carbon future, these regulations are neither feasible nor reasonable. All Americans should be concerned about their impact,” said Chairman Manchin.