Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas We are blessed that Texas has a thriving economy and a rapidly growing population. One of the reasons for this is our states focus on a strong infrastructure including an affordable and reliable supply of electricity.
Texas electricity is the very embodiment of a true all-of-the-above" strategy. We utilize all our state has to offer: coal natural gas nuclear power and the nations largest fleet of wind farms. This is part of our strength. For the same reason that you would not want your life savings invested in only one or two stocks we dont want our states electric generation to become too dependent on one type of technology. We saw what happened in California a few years back when they made that mistake and the price of electricity skyrocketed.
Unfortunately our diverse portfolio of electric generation technologies could soon be undermined by new regulations from Washington D.C. President Obama has directed his Environmental Protection Agency to further curb carbon emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants with the stated objective of combating climate change. There is no question that the real goal of this exercise is to phase out the use of coal and eventually natural gas from our nations energy mix. Major environmental groups who have the Presidents ear have launched aggressive campaigns to eliminate the use of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. EPA is now led by environmental activists who are developing rules to do exactly that.
EPA has proposed rules for new power plants that would require expensive unproven technology to be installed on any new coal-fueled power plant effectively banning use of coal for electric generation. Despite lawsuits being brought by many states EPA is pushing ahead with these rules and in such a way as to strip the states of the flexibility that Congress provided them in meeting clean air standards.
Texas depends on coal and locally produced lignite to generate 34 percent of our electricity. In June of this year EPA will propose a carbon emissions rule for existing power plants that many anticipate will force many of Texas coal and lignite fueled plants to shut down. Our sometimes extreme winter and summer weather causes us to appreciate having a reliable supply of affordable electricity. That affordability and reliability is being placed at risk by the Obama Administrations EPA.
Using the flexibility that was provided to the states by Congress Texas has done an impressive job of developing effective state policies and standards to protect the environment while meeting our energy needs with our unique mix of energy technologies. EPA should not be allowed to strip Texas of that freedom nor to impose unreasonable mandates that will make our electricity more expensive and less reliable.
The EPA will soon be issuing the proposed existing power plant rule but your State and Congressional representatives are not waiting to make our voices heard. Texas leaders in the Legislature Congress and our regulatory agencies are asserting our rights with the support of our Attorney General and those of a number of other states. We must do all we can to protect our state from EPAs damaging overreaching regulations. You can help by sharing your views now with Ms. Gina McCarthy the head of the US EPA at McCarthy.gina@Epa.gov and www.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas We are blessed that Texas has a thriving economy and a rapidly growing population. One of the reasons for this is our states focus on a strong infrastructure including an affordable and reliable supply of electricity.
Texas electricity is the very embodiment of a true all-of-the-above" strategy. We utilize all our state has to offer: coal natural gas nuclear power and the nations largest fleet of wind farms. This is part of our strength. For the same reason that you would not want your life savings invested in only one or two stocks we dont want our states electric generation to become too dependent on one type of technology. We saw what happened in California a few years back when they made that mistake and the price of electricity skyrocketed.
Unfortunately our diverse portfolio of electric generation technologies could soon be undermined by new regulations from Washington D.C. President Obama has directed his Environmental Protection Agency to further curb carbon emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants with the stated objective of combating climate change. There is no question that the real goal of this exercise is to phase out the use of coal and eventually natural gas from our nations energy mix. Major environmental groups who have the Presidents ear have launched aggressive campaigns to eliminate the use of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. EPA is now led by environmental activists who are developing rules to do exactly that.
EPA has proposed rules for new power plants that would require expensive unproven technology to be installed on any new coal-fueled power plant effectively banning use of coal for electric generation. Despite lawsuits being brought by many states EPA is pushing ahead with these rules and in such a way as to strip the states of the flexibility that Congress provided them in meeting clean air standards.
Texas depends on coal and locally produced lignite to generate 34 percent of our electricity. In June of this year EPA will propose a carbon emissions rule for existing power plants that many anticipate will force many of Texas coal and lignite fueled plants to shut down. Our sometimes extreme winter and summer weather causes us to appreciate having a reliable supply of affordable electricity. That affordability and reliability is being placed at risk by the Obama Administrations EPA.
Using the flexibility that was provided to the states by Congress Texas has done an impressive job of developing effective state policies and standards to protect the environment while meeting our energy needs with our unique mix of energy technologies. EPA should not be allowed to strip Texas of that freedom nor to impose unreasonable mandates that will make our electricity more expensive and less reliable.
The EPA will soon be issuing the proposed existing power plant rule but your State and Congressional representatives are not waiting to make our voices heard. Texas leaders in the Legislature Congress and our regulatory agencies are asserting our rights with the support of our Attorney General and those of a number of other states. We must do all we can to protect our state from EPAs damaging overreaching regulations. You can help by sharing your views now with Ms. Gina McCarthy the head of the US EPA at McCarthy.gina@Epa.gov and www.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards.
