BECKLEY, W.Va. — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito introduced legislation Wednesday that, if passed, will delay the implementation of the Clean Power Plan, which could begin as early as this summer, and allow states to opt out of complying with the plan.
Capito, R-W.Va., announced the “Affordable Reliable Energy Act Now Act (ARENA) Wednesday during a press conference in Washington.
“President Obama’s misguided ‘Clean Power Plan’ threatens to drastically reduce coal-related jobs, increase energy prices and reduce reliability,” Capito said.
She said at a later telephone conference with state reporters that she believes the Clean Power Plan was enacted because of the Obama administration’s frustration with not being able to pass cap and trade laws that would require a limit on carbon emissions and allow companies to trade their allowances for emissions if they produce less carbon.
ARENA requires the Environmental Protection Agency to achieve the standards at “several power facilities throughout the country” before implementing them; however, the EPA cannot use federally funded demonstration projects to meet the standards…
