Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune today commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule for regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses emitted from stationary sources, such as power plants and ethanol plants, under the Clean Air Act.
“As expected, the Obama administration’s EPA has laid out a policy that will result in what amounts to a backdoor tax on energy, with a disproportionate burden being carried by the Midwest,” said Thune. “Energy intensive industries like power production will be hardest hit but ethanol producers and agriculture will also face additional taxes, jeopardizing jobs and driving up energy prices for all consumers.
“The EPA is using a decades old law to impose a greenhouse gas tax on American businesses and families without any explicit consent or direction from Congress on the issue. Instead of charging ahead with heavy handed regulations, the Obama administration should be working to build bipartisan consensus and solutions on promoting clean renewable energy.”
Under the final rule announced today, EPA will begin implementing emissions permitting requirements for stationary sources in 2011 with additional industries and sectors of our economy being impacted in future years. Senator Thune is a cosponsor of a bipartisan resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res.26) that, if enacted, would stop the EPA from moving forward with their backdoor regulation of greenhouse gasses. This resolution is supported by several energy producers and agriculture groups in South Dakota and across the country.
“As expected, the Obama administration’s EPA has laid out a policy that will result in what amounts to a backdoor tax on energy, with a disproportionate burden being carried by the Midwest,” said Thune. “Energy intensive industries like power production will be hardest hit but ethanol producers and agriculture will also face additional taxes, jeopardizing jobs and driving up energy prices for all consumers.
“The EPA is using a decades old law to impose a greenhouse gas tax on American businesses and families without any explicit consent or direction from Congress on the issue. Instead of charging ahead with heavy handed regulations, the Obama administration should be working to build bipartisan consensus and solutions on promoting clean renewable energy.”
Under the final rule announced today, EPA will begin implementing emissions permitting requirements for stationary sources in 2011 with additional industries and sectors of our economy being impacted in future years. Senator Thune is a cosponsor of a bipartisan resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res.26) that, if enacted, would stop the EPA from moving forward with their backdoor regulation of greenhouse gasses. This resolution is supported by several energy producers and agriculture groups in South Dakota and across the country.
