By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Wednesday, February 11 US Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) responded to Tuesday’s US Supreme Court’s decision to stay the EPA’s implementation of a controversial Clean Power Plant plan designed to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, which is opposed by the State of Alabama.
Congressman Palmer said, “Implementing the Clean Power Plan would have far reaching impacts and profoundly negative consequences for American families and the economy. It would cause power plant closures, which will result in lost jobs and higher electricity costs. In addition, according to an analysis from the Heritage Foundation, the Clean Power Plan would result in 300 thousand in annual job losses by 2030, a loss of $2.5 trillion in aggregate gross domestic product, and would reduce individual income by $7,000, while having no measurable impact on climate change. According to the EPA’s own estimates, the plan would limit global temperature rise by less than 0.02 percent of a degree.”
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) also praised the US Supreme Court’s decision late Tuesday to stay the Obama administration from enforcing its Clean Power Plan which Strange called overreaching. Alabama and 24 other states challenged the legality of the EPA rule in federal court.
AG Strange said, “This is a tremendous victory not only for the rule of law, but also for the people of Alabama who stand to pay higher electric bills should the unprecedented and illegal EPA rule be enacted.”
Rep. Palmer said, “I applaud the decision, which is a victory for individuals and families, sparing them, at least temporarily, from the harmful effects of implementation, while challenges to the rule make their way through the judicial process.”
Strange added, “The Obama administration’s EPA rule would shutter coal-fired power plants around the country, including in Alabama, while killing jobs and raising power bills for hard-working families. Just two weeks ago, Alabama joined 24 other states in asking the US Supreme Court to stay the onerous EPA ruling so that we could fight it in court. Today’s decision is very good news and certainly bolsters the resolve of our coalition of states to press our case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.”
Alabama was joined by: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, along with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality in urging the US Supreme Court to immediately halt the EPA’s unlawful power plan
The United States is an energy super power with coal, gas, and oil reserves worth trillions of dollars. Despite this the Obama administration has urged that the United States cut its carbon dioxide emissions and use less fossil fuels. Critics question the environmental benefits of doing any of this while lamenting the economic and human costs of raising power rates and increasing regulations on American power plants and industries.
The stay means that the Obama administration can not force power producers to obey its dictates while the administration drags out the states’ lawsuit through the courts.
Congressman Gary Palmer represents Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District.
