Pallone Statement on Proposed EPA Regulations for Power Plant Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement today upon an announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emission from U.S. power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030:

“EPA’s proposed regulation to curb the amount of greenhouse gasses produced by power plants marks our nation’s most significant move to date to address climate change. These regulations will offer meaningful changes while allowing states and industry the flexibility to find ways to meet the new standards.

“Lower power plant emissions will have many benefits, specifically, improving public health by making the air we breathe cleaner and helping to reduce breathing related illnesses like asthma, which is increasingly affecting more and more Americans, particularly children. New clean energy jobs will be an additional positive outgrowth of this change, as the rapidly expanding field of energy alternatives will boom to meet the demands of adjusting to lower emissions standards, giving our economy a much needed boost.

“As a Representative and lifelong resident of one the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy, my constituents and I know all too well the serious impact climate change is having on our lives, economy, health and wellbeing. Without addressing climate change, sea levels will continue to rise, resulting in enormous costs from damage to coastal areas and devastating the tourism industry, which is critical to the economies of places like the New Jersey Shore. The costs of inaction in dealing with climate change are simply too high to ignore. EPA’s proposal today is an important step forward toward taking action on one of the most important issues of our time.”