Environmental

Attorney General Madigan Joins Coalition of 25 States, Cities and Counties in Defense of EPA Clean Power Plan


Coalition Cites Critical Need For Rules To Protect The Public, Environment, And Grow Our Economies

Chicago —(ENEWSPF)—November 5, 2015. Attorney General Madigan announced yesterday that Illinois is joining a coalition of 25 states and cities filing a motion to intervene to defend the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan against legal challenges. The motion to intervene in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit responds to suits that several states and industry groups have filed challenging the rule. The Clean Power Plan rule requires fossil-fueled power plants, the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, to cut their emissions pursuant to the Clean Air Act.

“The Clean Power Plan is an important next step toward cleaner, healthier and more affordable energy,” said Madigan. “This plan ensures that states like Illinois can develop our own strategies to reduce carbon pollution while improving our economy.”

The EPA adopted the Clean Power Plan through an extensive stakeholder process that drew heavily on the experience of states and utilities in reducing power plant greenhouse gas emissions.

The finalization of the Clean Power Plan marks the culmination of a decade-long effort by states and cities to require mandatory cuts in the emissions of carbon pollution from fossil fuel burning power plants under the Clean Air Act. The Clean Power Plan, along with the companion rule on new, modified, and reconstructed power plants, will control these emissions by setting limits on the amount of carbon pollution from power plants. The rule for existing plants is expected to eliminate as much carbon pollution as is emitted by more than 160 million cars a year – or 70 percent of the nation’s passenger cars.

The states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, the District of Columbia, the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boulder, South Miami, and Broward County (FL) have all joined the coalition.

A copy of the motion to intervene is attached.

Source: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

 


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