Say regulations will hurt Kentucky jobs, economy
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 3, 2015) — The Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency released it Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030 from existing power plants based on emission levels from 2005. Kentucky would have to reduce emissions by about 18.3 percent.
Gov. Steve Beshear and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responded today to the regulations.
Beshear said in a statement:
“I am extremely disappointed and frustrated by the huge changes the EPA made from the proposed rule. What is being proposed for Kentucky is disastrous—disastrous for our declining coal economy and equally disastrous for our very important manufacturing economy. The EPA claimed that it listened to the comments received on the proposed rule for the Clean Power Plan. It is clear from the emissions numbers the EPA has set for Kentucky that the agency did not listen to us. This rule leaves the Commonwealth with few, if any, alternatives to formulate a plan without significant harmful impact to rate payers, manufacturing companies and the overall economy.
Attorney General Jack Conway and I will continue to fight this onerous rule in the courts. During my entire term as governor, I have remained steadfast in my support of Kentucky’s important coal and manufacturing industries, and the affordable energy and good jobs they provide the commonwealth and the nation.
This is an extensive rule, and we will be meeting with stakeholders to assess its potential impacts. We will, however, continue to explore ways for Kentucky to comply with the rule should it become law, because we believe that a Kentucky specific plan would be better than a federal plan imposed on us.”
Sen. McConnell said on the Senate floor that the regulations “are set to harm struggling workers and families,” are “projected to cost billions” and “threaten to ship good Middle-Class jobs overseas.”
“They’ll likely make it harder to maintain reliable sources of energy to meet demand,” McConnell said. “They’ll also likely result in higher energy bills for those who can least afford them, potentially raising electricity rates by double digits for the people I represent.”
“Not only will these massive regulations fail to meaningfully affect the global climate, but they could actually end up harming the environment by outsourcing energy production to countries with poor environmental records like India and China,” McConnell said. “They may also be illegal.”
He said, “In Kentucky, these regulations would likely mean fewer jobs, shuttered power plants and higher electricity costs for families and businesses.”
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