Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first ever guidelines to cut carbon pollution from power plants. As the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, power plants are responsible for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions. EPA’s proposal, known as the Clean Power Plan and a part of President Obama’s broader Climate Action Plan, puts our nation on track to cut carbon pollution from the power sector by 30 percent by 2030 – the equivalent of approximately 730 million metric tons of carbon pollution.

Congressman Rául M. Grijalva (D-AZ), a Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation, released the following statement:

“Today, the Environmental Protection Agency took the next thoughtful step in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, proposing long overdue guidelines to mitigate the largest source of carbon pollution in the US: our power plants.

“While we already limit harmful power plant emissions like arsenic, mercury and sulfur dioxide, we’ve been turning a blind eye to carbon. With the Clean Power Plan, we will begin to undo some of the harmful effects that have gone unchecked in recent years and reduce carbon emissions to levels not seen since 2005. As a result, our air will be cleaner, the public will be healthier, and increased productivity will bring billions of dollars into our economy.”

“With the Clean Power Plan, we kill two birds with one stone – we curb the amount of carbon being released into our atmosphere and encourage more investment and job creation in the clean and renewable energy sectors, such as wind and solar.”

“The Clean Power Plan is not only a common-sense approach, but a morally right initiative that will leave our future generations with a cleaner and healthier environment. The time is now to act, and I applaud the Administration’s actions.”   

More information about EPA’s new Clean Power Plan can be found here.

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