RELEASE: Governor Bryant Pushes Back Against Obama Administration’s Energy Policy
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant has joined eight Republican governors in calling on President Obama to dispose of regulations proposed by his administration to greenhouse gas emissions by dictating to states what types of energy generation they can build and operate.
“States are leading efforts in energy innovation and independence, creating jobs in the process, yet this administration seeks to undo that success and exercise its will above all else,” Gov. Bryant said. “The Obama Administration’s overrreaching policies will cost American families in the form of dramatically higher utility bills, lost job opportunities and reduced energy independence.”
“I will continue to push back against this president’s failed policies, and as chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, I am working to ensure that states continue to have a voice in the development of national energy policy.”
Excerpts from the letter:
In an unprecedented move, your GHG emissions plan would largely dictate to the States the type of electricity generation they could build and operate. In addition, you seek to essentially ban coal from the U.S. energy mix. Your pursuit of this objective will heavily impact those of our states that rely primarily on coal for electricity generation—such a decision should not be made by unaccountable bureaucrats.
Although we are still examining the impacts of the GHG proposal released on June 2 and the proposed expansion of WOTUS, we can confidently say that, according to the best available data, millions of jobs will be lost and billions of dollars will be spent over the coming decades in an effort to comply with these and other federal regulations. And those numbers stand to increase with every tightening of those standards – hitting particularly hard working families, poor, and elderly.
Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that your Administration is content to force Americans to bear these substantial costs where there are highly questionable associated environmental benefits. In fact, your EPA Administrator admitted during testimony to the U.S. Senate that there would be no climate mitigation benefits to America pursuing unilateral action. Moreover, in 2008, you personally guaranteed that under your energy plan, “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” You admitted that your energy plan would have the following impact: “[Energy industries] would have to retrofit their operations—that will cost money. They will pass that money onto consumers.”
6/16/14
Magnolia Tribune
