Barack Obama & Claire McCaskill’s EPA Issues Job-Killing Regulations on Coal-Fired Power Plants

Sierra Club Claims This Will Put An End To Coal Fired Power Plants
Missouri #6 in Nation in Coal Use, #23 in Coal Production

As the Supreme Court continues to hear the oral arguments against President Obama and Claire McCaskill’s intrusive healthcare law, today the Obama Administration issued job-killing regulations on the coal industry, which could cease production of any new coal plants, killing thousands of jobs and raising energy rates.

McCaskill had an opportunity to reign in these unelected bureaucrats and their mandates, but rather than standing up for Missouri, she decided to support the agenda of extreme environmentalists.

Despite the fact Missouri is No. 6 in the nation in coal use, the Sierra Club trumpeted these new regulations because they claim it will ultimately put an end to coal fired power plants.

As The Hill reports:

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed first-of-their-kind regulations Tuesday to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. … Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune was even more blunt. He told Bloomberg that the rules “will make it nearly impossible to build a new coal plant,” and added that the market has been moving that way, so the rule “captured the end of an era.”  The rules drew quick criticism from industry groups. The National Mining Association immediately called on Congress to scuttle the plans.  “Volatile natural gas prices will, once again, expose millions of households to higher utility bills, threaten hundreds of thousands of workers with unemployment and weaken both the competitiveness of basic industries and the reliability of the nation’s electricity grid,” said the group’s CEO, Hal Quinn.  (Andrew Restuccia and Ben German, EPA unveils long-awaited climate rules for new power plants, The Hill, 03/27/12)
“Whether it’s ObamaCare, the failed stimulus or EPA regulations, Claire McCaskill always sides with President Obama and his far left agenda,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Spokesman Lance Trover, “The consequence of McCaskill siding with President Obama and his extreme environmentalist friends instead of hard-working Missouri families is simple: the EPA will now be able to implement their regulations which will kill thousands of jobs and increase energy rates.”

BACKGROUND …

McCaskill Supports The EPA’s Regulations, Which Are Killing Missouri Jobs

McCaskill Voted Against An Amendment That Would Block The EPA From Regulating Carbon Dioxide And Other Greenhouse Gases Under The Clean Air Act. “McConnell, R-Ky., amendment no. 183 that would block the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.” (S. 493, CQ Vote #54: Rejected by a vote of 50-50: R 46-1; D 4-47; I 0-2, 4/6/11, McCaskill Voted Nay)

In November 2011, McCaskill Voted Against A Joint Resolution That Would Have Nullified An EPA Rule Regarding Cross-State Air Pollution. “McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the joint resolution that would nullify the EPA rule regarding regulation of cross-state air pollution.” (S. J. Res. 27, CQ Vote #201: Motion rejected 41-56: R 39-6; D 2-48; I 0-2, 11/10/11, McCaskill Voted Nay)

“Direct And Indirect Employment Generated By U.S. Coal Mining In Missouri Accounts For 4,680 Jobs, For A Combined Payroll Of $160 Million.” (National Mining Association, www.nma.org, Accessed 1/5/12)

“Missouri Ranks #23 In The Nation In Coal Production And #6 In The Nation In Coal Use.” (National Mining Association, www.nma.org, Accessed 1/5/12)

EPA And Obama Regulations: Bad For Missouri Coal

Missouri AFL-CIO President: Pending EPA Regulations “Will Both Threaten Jobs And Increase Costs On Energy Consumers In Missouri.” “The near-term future of our nation’s and Missouri’s economies is filled with uncertainty. Our struggle back from one of the largest economic downturns in U.S. history is extremely challenging. Compounding our situation even more are the pending Environmental Protection Agency regulations that will both threaten jobs and increase costs on energy consumers in Missouri. This has led the two of us – a representative of an organization that promotes Missouri businesses and a representative of Missouri’s working men and women – to urge the EPA to take a more reasonable, responsible approach.” (Hugh McVey and Dan Mehan, Editorial, “An Uncertain Future For Power Plants Regulations,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/20/11)

William Yeatman, Energy Policy Analyst, Competitive Enterprise Institute: “Bottom Line: For The Sake Of The US Economy, Congress Needs To Put An End To Obama’s War On Coal.” (William Yeatman, Op-Ed, “Obama’s War On Coal,” New York Post, 8/9/11)

“By 2015, The Coal-Fired Power Generation Industry Will Have Invested $125 Billion In Coal Utilization Technologies That Burn Coal Cleaner And With More Efficiency.” (Robert Sells, Op-Ed, “Over-Regulation Will Harm Economy And Environment,” The Roanoke Times, 4/24/11)

“A Coal-Fired Power Facility Built Today Is, On Average, 90 Percent Cleaner Than The One It Replaces, According To The National Energy Technology Laboratory. Ironically, The Ability To Build Those New Plants Is Next To Impossible Due To Even More Stringent EPA Regulations.” (Robert Sells, Op-Ed, “Over-Regulation Will Harm Economy And Environment,” The Roanoke Times, 4/24/11)

As Regulations Are Imposed On Coal And The Cost Of Electricity Increases, The Costs Will Be Passed To Consumers. “Let’s go back to the utilities. As most Virginians know, coal generates much of the electricity provided to our consumers and businesses. These proposed rules will dramatically increase the costs of electricity — costs that, again, will be passed along to consumers who can ill afford it.” (Robert Sells, Op-Ed, “Over-Regulation Will Harm Economy And Environment,” The Roanoke Times, 4/24/11)

The Regulations Will Also Result In “Significant Job Losses” In The Power Industry And In Coal Production. “These regulations will also result in significant job losses. According to a study prepared by the McIlvaine Company for the National Mining Association, the most likely scenario results in 18,000 lost jobs in the power industry and 20,000 jobs lost in coal production, not to mention the elimination of thousands of related jobs.” (Robert Sells, Op-Ed, “Over-Regulation Will Harm Economy And Environment,” The Roanoke Times, 4/24/11)

Possibly Most Outrageous, “The EPA Is Proposing Regulations To Control Numerous Air Pollutants That The Agency’s Own Studies Show Pose No Risk To Human Health; The Health Benefits Claimed By The EPA For These Proposed Regulations Are Actually For Pollutants That Are Already Controlled Through Other Existing Regulations.” (Robert Sells, Op-Ed, “Over-Regulation Will Harm Economy And Environment,” The Roanoke Times, 4/24/11)

Consumers Could See Their Electricity Bill Increase An Estimated 40 To 60 Percent Because Of “Pending Environmental Regulations [That] Will Make Coal-Fired Generating Plants . . . More Expensive To Operate.” “Consumers could see their electricity bills jump an estimated 40 to 60 percent in the next few years. The reason: Pending environmental regulations will make coal-fired generating plants, which produce about half the nation’s electricity, more expensive to operate. Many are expected to be shuttered.” (Julie Wernau, “Consumers’ Electric Bills Likely To Spike As Coal Plants Close,” Chicago Tribune, 6/11/11)

American Electric Power, Which Is Among The Nation’s Largest Coal-Burning Electricity Generators, Will “Retire Nearly A Quarter Of Its Coal-Fueled Generating Capacity,” And Spend As Much As $8 Billion To Retrofit Units To Meet Regulations. “American Electric Power, one of the country’s largest coal-burning electricity generators, said Thursday it will retire nearly a quarter of its coal-fueled generating capacity and that it will spend up to $8 billion to retrofit remaining units to meet regulations that start taking effect in 2014. Those moves will have an impact.” (Julie Wernau, “Consumers’ Electric Bills Likely To Spike As Coal Plants Close,” Chicago Tribune, 6/11/11)

Read more at NRSC