SEEC Co-Chair Statement on the Trump Administration’s Clean Power Plan rollback

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, SEEC Co-Chairs Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Paul Tonko (D-NY) issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of its so-called “Affordable Clean Energy” (ACE) rule.

“We are at a historic moment in time. From wildfires to hurricanes and severe flooding to record heatwaves, we are seeing the consequences of climate change in the headlines and in our communities daily. EPA Administrator Wheeler and President Trump claim that their repeal of the Clean Power Plan will lower CO2 levels and improve public health, but the American people will see this policy for what it is: a race to the bottom directive that will make Americans sick, pollute our air, and accelerate an already alarming climate crisis. Under this sham of a proposal, Americans will be paying more for utilities, more in medical bills, and incurring more expenses related to climate change,” said SEEC Co-Chairs Connolly, Matsui, and Tonko. “The result of intense and extensive public review, the Clean Power Plan made significant investments in protecting public health, securing our energy future, and creating good-paying green-collar jobs. The reversal of that plan represents the very worst of the Trump Administration – a failure to listen to proven science on the need for robust climate action. We will do everything in our power to combat this dirty power grab.”

The ACE rule replaces the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which encouraged states to shift toward cleaner energy sources in order to meet emission reduction targets – improving public health, creating green-collar jobs, and mitigating the on-going effects of global climate change. When compared to the Clean Power Plan, the Trump EPA’s own analysis shows that this dirty power scam could result in up to 1,630 premature deaths, 120,000 asthma attacks, 140,000 missed school days, and 48,000 lost workdays by 2030, in addition to producing more carbon pollution than no policy at all in many states across the country.