Mead: EPA Should Withdraw Proposed Rules on Carbon Emissions For Power Plants

Governor Matt Mead is calling on the EPA to withdraw proposed rules on carbon emissions for existing power plants. In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Governor Mead said that the Proposal exceeds the authority granted to EPA under the Clean Air Act. The letter details multiple concerns and challenges EPA analysis and authority.

The EPA does not have the legal authority to propose, finalize or enforce this Proposal,” Governor Mead wrote. “The EPA has introduced a Proposal that will hamstring energy and electricity sectors. It will burden our nation’s economic security and prosperity with almost no environmental of health benefits.

Mead underscored the importance of the coal industry to Wyoming and the nation. He noted that Wyoming supplies 40% of the coal used in the United States – distributed to 30 states annually. In Wyoming the mining industry employs – directly and indirectly – thousands of people. Coal production funds school construction, infrastructure projects and federal, state and local government functions.

The letter to McCarthy cites errors in EPA calculations including those for improved efficiency from power plants and renewable energy consumption.