Posted on 12/16/2014 9:13:50 AM PST by rktman
The nation’s state legislatures are about to become embroiled in a battle of epic proportions as they line up on either side of the debate over the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.
The struggle could define the future of, and indeed the very existence of, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisc.), 49 members of the Wisconsin Legislature and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin are part of a nationwide, state legislative backlash against the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.
EPA officials proposed the plan in June 2014. It is designed to reduce carbon greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel fired power plants.
The EPA believes by 2030 this rule would cut CO2 emissions from the nation’s power plants by approximately 30 percent from emission levels in 2005.
“This goal is achievable because innovations in the production, distribution and use of electricity are already making the power sector more efficient and sustainable while maintaining an affordable, reliable and diverse energy mix,” according to an EPA press release.
Walker and the others on his side of the issue see the EPA plan, which strictly regulates emissions generated by the nation’s power plans, as typical of the agency’s overreach.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
The states should simply ignore the fed and protect their own industries from the EPA. The only reason the EPA has any power over these companies is by regulation. The states could issue necessary permits and indemnify and protect their power producers. They would have to defend them legally and potentially physically if the fed tried to shut down operations. But the states have the means and resources to resist against EPA regulations. Let the FED try and sue the state over the issue. That would get it into the courts where the real issues can be argued.
Alternative energy sources generate only one thing in abundance:
liberal self-righteousness
Walker taking on the EPA.... if he announced plans for 2016, it would certainly put a crimp in Jebby’s plans.
I'm going to love it also when Sen. Jim Inhofe takes over the Senate science committee; he's a global warming realists.
Liberal heads will explode daily.
Or they could just “interpret” the law and decide to not comply with the parts they don’t like.
Executive Orders.
We have President Nixon to thank for the EPA.
He created the country killing monstrosity using his privilege of Executive Order.
That’s the other aspect of it.
The leftist elites aren’t interested in alternative energy as much as they are interested in a vehicle to transfer taxpayer money to their friends and donors.
In practice, there are 4 branches of gov’t, the 4th being “Regulatory” and not accountable to the public.
OK, this guy is now my favorite.
Too bad liberal self righteousness won’t power a generator.
The EPA needs to be shuttered.
they generate large donor kickbacks. they generate a lot of positive press for the libtard politicians to exploit.
you will see the rino/gop-e leadership and libtards both attack him with all the resources they have at their disposal.
I like Scott Walker more and more.
Clearly he is in touch with average voters.
His first question to the IPCC should be:
If you capture enough tax-money from the US consumer, is it your guarantee that we will never again have a hurricane Katrina or Sandy? Can we count on the UN to assure blizzards will NEVER happen in the future?
It appears to me that the more Scott Walker is attacked, the more powerful he becomes.
The problem is that the operating permits are issued to the owners of the facilities and therefore it is the owners that can be held liable for noncompliance with EPA regulations. In cases where the owner knowingly and intentionally ignored the regulations the owner can be held criminally liable.
In this case what I would propose is that the State of Wisconsin offer to purchase all of the electric generation assets from the various Wisconsin electric companies for say a dollar. Technically the State would therefore become the owner and permit holder while in reality an operating agreement could be reached with the electric companies that would mean financially the companies would be made whole. Then the State of Wisconsin could simply tell the EPA to go pound sand.
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