Chamber of Commerce CEO reacts to final EPA Clean Power Plan

With the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) releasing its finalized Clean Power Plan today, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue condemned the regulation for the vast upgrades it will require for the nation’s electrical grid.

“While the final rule will take some time to analyze, we know that it still has the same fundamental legal flaws and imposes the same unbearable costs as the original proposal, while having no measurable impact on global emissions,” Donohue said. “With these rules, the EPA is trying to stretch its authority beyond recognition and to double down on its attempt to impose an unprecedented takeover of our energy system.”

The EPA sees the system upgrades instead as an opportunity to increase the electric grid’s reliability and has touted the plan’s 32 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the 2005 levels by 2030.

"As dozens of states, the chamber, and numerous other stakeholders have discussed, the EPA's effort to shut down existing power plants and thus drive up energy prices for businesses and consumers alike will inflict significant damage to our entire economy and reduce our nation's global competitiveness without any significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions,” Donohue said. “It is a bad deal for America, and we will pursue all available options, including litigation if necessary, to block EPA's regulatory power grab from taking effect.”