InsideSources reported today on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to overturn the disastrous Clean Power Plan that overregulates existing power plants to the point where many would be forced to shut down, driving up energy prices for consumers and costing jobs for individuals that work at these plants. From InsideSources:
“The stringent requirement for existing power plants is going to be greater than those in new power plants who don’t even have the technology today to meet those new standards,” Paxton told InsideSources. “What’s going to happen is we’ll lose a lot of existing power plants.”
The Environmental Protection Agency drafted the new rule to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. The lawsuit argues the agency is overstepping its authority and that the new rule discriminates against existing power plants. It implements strict standards that newer power plants have the technology to more easily overcome.
“The requirements they are requiring now for existing power plants are more stringent than what you would put in for a newer power plant which effectively means you have to shut the power plant down,” Paxton also said. “Effectively, the technology is not really there to retrofit an existing power plant.”
Furthermore, AG Paxton said that this new rule would lead to “national brown outs and rolling black outs,” costing the economy “anywhere between $29 billion and $39 billion annually.”
It’s clear that the Clean Power Plan has a number of unintended consequences that would hurt the economy and energy sector in Texas. Fortunately, AG Paxton is taking a leadership role to fight this rule and stand up for Texans.
