Democrats Support EPA Action to Address Climate Change at Joint Subcommittee Hearing
(Washington, DC) – Today the Subcommittee on Environment and the Subcommittee on Energy held a joint hearing to discuss the performance standards proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for regulating carbon dioxide emitted from new power plants.
Members highlighted the need for EPA to continue to regulate pollution from power plants and the impact those regulations have in promoting technology development in the marketplace, as well as protecting public health. In contrast to their colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Democratic Members also emphasized the potential impacts of climate change and the need for immediate action.
Ranking Member Eric Swalwell of the Subcommittee on Energy said, “Global climate change is one of the greatest challenges that we face.” He continued, “If we don’t take steps to halt this change, the repercussions for humans and the environment will be catastrophic. We now need to move forward and take the necessary steps to combat the warming of our planet before these impacts become inevitable.”
The Democratic witness on the first panel, David Hawkins of the Natural Resources Defense Council explained in his prepared statement, “Fortunately, the United States has the economic strength, technical know-how, and policy tools that can show the world we can address [climate change] in a manner that secures our economic future. The Clean Air Act is one of those tools. In 2007 and again in 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to set sensible safeguards for CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants. EPA has already set GHG standards for new cars and trucks, with the cooperation of domestic and foreign manufacturers. EPA is now in the process of developing standards for the largest U.S. source of CO2 pollution, fossil-fueled power plants.”
Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici of the Subcommittee on Environment said in her opening statement, “The proposed rule sets carbon limits on new power plants, not existing plants or those under construction.” She went on to say, “The proposed EPA rule will create a market incentive for the continued development and promotion of carbon capture and storage, or CCS, technologies. The advancement of CCS technologies is essential if new coal power plants are to operate in the low carbon future we must achieve.”
The Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe testifying before the subcommittees said in her opening statement, “These standards, which are proposed under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act, are based on an evaluation of the technology that is available to limit carbon pollution emissions at new power plants. EPA proposed these standards by following a well-established process to determine the “best system of emission reduction … adequately demonstrated” to limit pollution.” She later clarified the current state of the regulatory framework surrounding power plants, “The Administrator has said this on numerous occasions, we do not have any expectation that carbon capture and sequestration would form the basis for any expectation relative to existing plants.”
Ranking Member Bonamici concluded her opening statement by saying, “The impacts are real and we must do all that we can to mitigate the effects of climate change. The carbon dioxide we release now will affect generations to come. The EPA’s proposed rule for new power plants is a critical step in that direction.”
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