West Virginia Democrat Jay Rockefeller said he would introduce legislation today to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases for two years from power plants. He's trying to protect home interests -- the coal industry.
Rockefeller said the bill would give Congress time to work out its own energy rules.
"Today, we took important action to safeguard jobs, the coal industry, and the entire economy as we move toward clean coal technology," he said. "This legislation will issue a two year suspension on EPA regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources—giving Congress the time it needs to address an issue as complicated and expansive as our energy future. Congress, not the EPA, must be the ideal decision-maker on such a challenging issue."
He said he sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson challenging potential regulations and she responded in a letter that she could delay until the end of 2010, but Rockefeller said this was a "positive" move but wasn't enough time for a comprehensive energy bill to pass and clean coal technology to be pursued.
There is a house bill being introduced by Rep. Nick Rahall, Democrat of West Virginia.
The bills would protect the power plants from having to seek permits to meet a New Source Performance Standard under the Clean Air Act for carbon dioxide or methane. They would allow for the new EPA rules to apply to the auto industry, however. The Obama administration negotiated a deal for new emissions standards.
The Supreme Court gave the EPA authority in 2007 to regulate greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act. SO, legislation is necessary if Congress wants to stop or delay regulations -- something Rockefeller says is needed to protect jobs and local economies.
So, given that energy legislation is no less controversial than heath care legislation and likely to face major hurdles in Congress, do you think the EPA should go ahead and regulate power plant emissions now? Or is this really not something EPA should be stepping into on its own without Congressional input given the dicey jobs situation?