Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chairs' Statement on the Bicameral Resolution to Block Biden's Plan to Close American Power Plants
Washington, DC - Yesterday, the Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Carol Miller (R-WV), Dan Meuser (R-PA), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) joined Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) and 134 of their House colleagues in introducing a formal challenge to the Biden administration’s regulations intended to shut down American power plants through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval.
“Since Joe Biden took office, the EPA has been used to wage war on coal. Instead of increasing our coal supply, the Biden administration and Washington Democrats are shutting down domestic coal production in the name of their Green New Deal Agenda. If this rule were to go into effect, the U.S. power grid would be far more susceptible to brownouts and blackouts, leaving the United States more vulnerable to our adversaries and degrading our constituents’ quality of life. This CRA is necessary to overturn this rulemaking that will destroy coal demand in the United States,” said the Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chairs.
The resolution comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rules that impose unrealistic emissions requirements on existing coal-fired power plants and newly constructed gas-fired power plants. This attempt to force the closure of power plants that supply America’s baseload electricity was previously tried under President Obama and overturned by the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led 43 of her colleagues in introducing an identical resolution in the United States Senate.
Groups supporting the CRA resolution of disapproval include: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Mining Association (NMA), National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), America’s Power, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), American Petroleum Institute (API), American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), Western Energy Alliance, American Coal Council, Energy Policy Network, Reliable Energy Inc., Women’s Mining Coalition, West Virginia Manufacturers Association, Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GOWV), West Virginia Coal Association, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, Ohio Independent Power Producers, Ohio Oil & Gas Association, Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, Montana Coal Council, Texas Mining Association, Utah Mining Association, Kentucky Coal Association, Illinois Coal Association, Wyoming Mining Association, Rocky Mountain Mining Institute, American Electric Power (AEP), Buckeye Power, Duke Energy, PBF Energy, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), Institute for Energy Research, Power the Future, Heritage Action, Conservative Political Action Coalition, Americans for Prosperity, American Energy Institute, American Consumer Institute, Americans for Tax Reform, ALEC Action, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
The Congressional Coal Caucus is the voice of American coal communities in Congress. It represents both eastern and western mining states, along with all of the types of coal produced throughout the country.
Background:
- The EPA finalized the Power Plant Rule on April 25th, 2024, which will create a devastating impact on our electric grid, current coal-fired power plants, new natural-gas fired power plants, and U.S. energy production.
- These rules are in violation of the Clean Air Act and will increase energy prices, the cost of living for Americans, and will shut down the majority of U.S. coal producers by 2032.
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Contact: Chris Berardi, Sr. Advisor/Communications Director