Heitkamp Statement on Administration’s Revised Clean Power Plan

 

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp issued the following statement on the administration’s proposed revision of the Clean Power Plan. Heitkamp has long pushed for a revised plan that takes into account the unique needs of states like North Dakota that rely on coal for power generation and providing low-cost electricity.

Heitkamp introduced bipartisan legislation in 2015 with Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia to overturn the Clean Power Plan rules for existing power sourcesThe Senate passed their legislation in November 2015, but it was vetoed by the previous administration.

“I’m encouraged by what I have seen so far of the draft rule, and I will work with North Dakotans to make sure the final rule recognizes our all-of-the-above energy policy that has been successful for our state,” Heitkamp said. “The misguided, one-size-fits-all rule put in place by the previous administration did not take the needs of North Dakota into account and would have resulted in higher energy costs to consumers and loss of jobs as power plants would have been forced to shut down early. It is encouraging to see that the EPA has decided to focus the rule ‘inside the fence-line’ so that the rule is applied to reducing emissions at plants on an individual basis - and that they account for the useful life of power plants so that co-ops and utilities in North Dakota aren’t stuck with stranded assets. The federal government should not mandate what steps states should take in achieving their own emissions reduction goals, and I will continue to review the draft rule over the coming weeks and talk to co-ops, utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders in North Dakota to get a better understanding of how this draft rule will impact them.