The Trump administration moved to eliminate another Obama era legacy, and revive the coal power industry with sensible regulations aimed at eliminating emissions while also minimizing disruption to the power grid and to consumers and businesses.
The new plan, the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, was signed by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler and replaces rules that sought to mandate a shift to cleaner sources of energy and away from coal.
The problem with the old plan of course is that the federal government cannot mandate new technologies into existence. While replacing coal at some point is an admirable and worthy goal it has to be done by the free market in a way that causes minimal if any disruption to the energy grid.
Via the Wall Street Journal:
The Obama-era rules had been blocked by legal challenges from 26 states, industry groups and others that cited concerns including the costs of compliance and the EPA’s authority to enact such a sweeping change. Mr. Wheeler said the new Affordable Clean Energy rules will restore authority to states, but require some power plants to adopt newer technology to remain in operation.
“These provisions will give states and the private sector the regulatory certainty they need to invest in new technologies that are more efficient and reduce emissions,” Mr. Wheeler said. “We are trying to address climate change. But we are trying to do it within the authority Congress has given us.”
The EPA estimates that the plan will help shrink power plants’ carbon-dioxide emissions 35% by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, but acknowledges that almost all the improvement will come from actions the industry takes on its own.
As you might expect environmentalists and a motley assortment of lefties are unhappy with the new rules and the shift at the EPA.
In fact California’s far left and extreme Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the EPA’s new rules are “disgraceful and immoral” and intends to sue to stop the new rules from going into effect.
New York and a collection of Democrat run cities are expected to join the lawsuit as well.
While those on the left may be upset by this, we fully applaud the move by the administration to eliminate unneeded and costly regulations.
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