Press Releases

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) this morning made the following comment regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations on existing power plants: “Make no mistake, the administration’s proposed rule is nothing more than a national energy tax that will be yet another sucker punch to middle-class families throughout... Continue Reading

U.S. Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) applauded the Senate’s bipartisan approval of their legislation to minimize future propane and heating fuel shortages and regional supply disruptions. A slightly modified version of Thune and Klobuchar’s Reliable... Continue Reading

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) today introduced an amendment to the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014 (S. 2262), to block an anticipated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to expand National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, which would cost upward of $1 trillion per... Continue Reading

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued a statement denouncing a proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would require new power plants to meet unrealistic new standards:  “After announcing his intention to ‘pivot’ back to jobs this week, the president has made an about-face and pivoted instead to... Continue Reading

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the five-year anniversary of TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline: “Five years and four successful environmental reviews have transpired since the Keystone XL pipeline permit was first submitted. As the president yet again ‘pivots’ back to the... Continue Reading

Following the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement yesterday that it will auction off its $168 million loan to discredited electric vehicle manufacturer Fisker Automotive at a significant loss to taxpayers, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) is calling for the Senate to consider his amendment (#1887) to the Shaheen-Portman energy... Continue Reading

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced several energy-related amendments to the Energy Saving and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 1392), also known as the Shaheen-Portman bill, including: (Amendment #1887) An amendment to eliminate a wasteful Department of Energy (DOE) loan program. Secretary Moniz recently suggested that he will revive... Continue Reading

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy expressing opposition to the agency’s recently announced federal implementation plan in Wyoming under the Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze Program. This mandate will negatively impact South Dakota ratepayers due to the exceptionally high cost of... Continue Reading

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, made a statement today following President Obama’s so-called new climate initiative that will impose a costly national energy tax on affordable sources of energy and crush American jobs: “Once again, the president has pivoted away from jobs and the economy... Continue Reading