New Website Launch: How the EPA’s Clean Power Plan Proposal will Affect the States

CleanPowerPlanFacts.com, a new website released today by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will help illustrate how the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan will affect electricity generation in the states. The EPA’s Plan would mandate a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants by 2030.

This reduction in emissions would force roughly 50 gigawatts of installed fossil fuel-fired generation into retirement – an amount equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 25 million homes during normal conditions. Visitors to the website can use an interactive map to determine precisely which power plants EPA expects to be retired by 2020.

The website also compiles comments that state policymakers (e.g., governors, attorneys general, state environmental agencies, and public utilities commissions) submitted to EPA regarding the proposed rule. These state actors are all in positions to credibly evaluate the efficacy of the Clean Power Plan for their respective jurisdictions. Comments are classified as either generally being in support of the proposed rule as written or those expressing significant concern.