Georgia Mountain News

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) have strongly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its recent announcement of new rules impacting the power sector, warning that these regulations will have severe consequences for U.S. energy reliability.

In a joint statement, Rodgers and Carter expressed their concerns, stating, "The EPA’s rush to dismantle our nation’s base load electricity generation will harm people’s lives and well-being. These policies undermine American energy security by forcing states to fundamentally change how they generate electricity. At a time when more than half the nation is at elevated risk of forced blackouts, the administration’s unrelenting rush-to-green agenda is shutting down the types of generation needed to keep the lights on and raising costs across the board. We should be strengthening and expanding reliable power generation to build on America’s legacy of energy security and leadership, rather than dismantling it."

The Energy and Commerce Committee has been actively engaged in addressing the implications of the EPA's Clean Power Plan 2.0 (CPP2.0) on the country's energy security and grid reliability. Several actions have been taken by the committee, including sending letters to the EPA and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to raise concerns about the potential negative impacts of these regulations on the U.S. electric grid.

Rodgers and Carter, along with other committee members, have been vocal in their opposition to the EPA's new rules, advocating for a focus on strengthening and expanding reliable power generation to ensure the continued security and leadership of America's energy sector.

The ongoing debate surrounding the EPA's power plant rules underscores the deep divide in Washington over energy policy and the balance between environmental concerns and energy reliability. As stakeholders continue to push for their respective priorities, the future of America's energy landscape remains uncertain.