Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., cosponsored two bipartisan resolutions today in an attempt to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s unprecedented regulations aimed at putting coal out of business.
Aimed at two pillars of the proposed Clean Power Plan, the resolution introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., would overturn regulations aimed at existing coal-fired power plants, while the resolution introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senator Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., would protect new coal-fired power plants.
“The state of Wyoming is fighting this rule in federal court, and we are using the legislative tactics we have at our disposal to fight it here in Washington,” Enzi said. “In the face of bipartisan opposition, it is astonishing that the EPA continues to try to destroy America’s coal industry through a string of ill-thought rules and bureaucratic maneuvers.”
“The bipartisan opposition to the Obama administration’s multi-billion dollar carbon mandate only grows stronger each and every day. It’s no surprise that many states, including Wyoming, have already rejected this rule by filing lawsuits to block it,” Barrasso said. “Today’s bipartisan resolution is just one of the tools Congress can and will use to fight back against this costly and unprecedented Washington overreach. We’ll continue to pursue any and all opportunities to stop regulations that will crush jobs, harm public health, and increase energy prices for American families.”
With an estimated price tag of at least $366 billion, the Wyoming senators said the regulations would not only devastate the coal industry by mandating unrealistic carbon reductions, they will also distress American families by forcing job cuts and causing double-digit electricity rate increases in more than 40 states.
Enzi and Barrasso have also cosponsored the Affordable Reliable Energy Now Act (ARENA), which would delay the compliance date of the Clean Power Plan until the courts decide if the rule is on good legal standing.