House subcommittee to host hearing on EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan

The House Subcommittee on Energy and Power will host a hearing tomorrow on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan and the Ratepayer Protection Act that was drafted in response to it.

The EPA’s rule, which advances President Obama’s Climate Action Plan as part of the Clean Air Act (CAA) would require states to create plans that will allow them to meet customized goals set by the EPA. The goals will be determined according to four building blocks that mainly focus on improvements and reductions for coal-fired energy, and will include interim goals for 2020 to 2029 and final goals for 2030 and beyond.

The costs for implementing the plans have caused concern with many states, 32 of which have filed legal objections. In light of this, subcommittee chair Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced legislation that would prevent the EPA from enforcing the rule before legal action is settled and would prevent states whose ratepayers would be significantly affected by the rule from being forced to enact a plan.

Panel members for tomorrow's meeting will include Janet McCabe, EPA's acting assistant administrator for the office of air and radiation, and an array of state and private-sector power officials.