WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 25, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Representative Billy Long voted in favor of the Ratepayer Protection Act, aiding House passage of the bill, 247-180.
The bill would delay implementation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants until after federal courts have an opportunity to rule on the controversial regulation. It also grants states the flexibility to neither submit nor adopt plans to comply with the regulation and would relieve states from fulfilling plans deemed to have a potentially “significant adverse effect” on consumers’ utility rates. States would be required to submit plans in 2016 to meet preliminary 2020 regulatory benchmarks. Missouri would be required to reduce emissions 21 percent by 2030.
“Today, the House voted to fight back EPA’s continued assault on the Ozarks and mid-America. The Ratepayer Protection Act would prevent states from spending time and resources to develop a plan to meet the EPA’s power plant regulations, only for it to later be void should a federal court overturn the regulation. This bill would prevent states from having to establish plans that would increase costs for energy consumers. With the regulations clearly targeting coal, which provides more than 80 percent of Missouri’s power supply, hikes on Seventh District electric bills are certain. I voted ‘yes’ to keep more money in southwest Missourian’s wallets and to prevent Missouri tax dollars from being wasted,” Long said.
Energy industry experts and analysis have also expressed concern over energy reliability due to short deadlines for state plans. During a May 19, 2015, House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation president and CEO told Long that deadlines for states to meet standards must be slowed to minimize negative impact on the nation’s electric grid, and questioned whether alternative sources to coal, such as natural gas, “would be there every day in the cold days of winter.”
“I will continue to fight against out-of-touch EPA regulations to keep southwest Missourians’ lights on at night, heat on in the winter and air on in the summer while keeping electricity affordable for all,” Long said.
