Governor Bentley Joins Republican Governors to Urge President to Promote Reliable, Affordable Energy Policy

MONTGOMERY- Governor Robert Bentley on Wednesday announced he has joined 14 Republican governors across the nation in writing a letter to President Obama concerning the Environmental Protection Agency’s June 2 proposal for reducing carbon dioxide emissions at existing power plants under the Clean Air Act.

“I am confident the new EPA proposal will hurt hard working families in Alabama by increasing their electricity bills,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “The goal of this letter is for governors to identify the concerns we have with the proposal and encourage the President to develop an energy policy that pursues affordable and reliable energy instead of one that will increase electricity bills and, more importantly, cut jobs in Alabama.”

The EPA recently released the Clean Power Plan, which seeks to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants. The plan would limit carbon emissions by 30% from existing power plants by 2030. Governor Bentley also believes the EPA would exceed its authority in issuing these new regulations.

In February of 2014, Governor Bentley sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on behalf of the Southern States Energy Board expressing concerns with the EPA’s direction on power plant emissions. Governor Bentley currently serves as chairman of the Southern States Energy Board and, in the letter, said some regions of the country will be more dramatically impacted than others. The letter further states that the economies of coal and natural gas have helped develop a critical manufacturing and industrial base leading to an improved quality of life not only for residents of the South but also for the nation.

In July, Governor Bentley’s Senior Advisor, Blaine Galliher, testified at the EPA public hearing in Atlanta regarding the negative impact that the new plan to cut carbon emissions from exiting power plants would have on Alabama. A link to Galliher’s written testimony can be found here.

The letter to the President highlights five compliance issues and urges the President and EPA Administrator. The letter also requests the Administration provide an informed plan for the states to address these significant state compliance concerns in advance of the comment deadline on October 16th.

A copy of the letter to the President can be found here.