Senate Dems call on EPA to strengthen power plant rule 

Source: Daniel Bush, E&E reporter • Posted: Thursday, December 11, 2014

A group of Senate Democrats today called on U.S. EPA to strengthen its proposed power plant rule to achieve a greater reduction in carbon emissions.

In a letter to the agency, the group said the rule is “the single most significant step this country has ever taken to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.”

But they insisted that an even more ambitious carbon reduction target would help the United States avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

“For the [rule] to be a success, it must achieve the level of emissions reductions that the science calls for to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change,” it said.

The letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who is the co-chairman of the Bicameral Climate Task Force. Vermont’s independent Sen. Bernie Sanders also signed on.

Under EPA’s current proposal, the rule would cut carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The rule was proposed in June and drew thousands of responses during EPA’s comment period, which ended earlier this month.

Click here to read the letter.