Fifteen GOP Governors said in a letter to President Obama that the EPA does not have authority to regulate emissions from existing power plants because it has already regulated the sources under a different section of the Clean Air Act. They argue the draft rule, in attempting to regulate outside the fence, exceeds the scope of federal law and conflicts with established state laws.
The letter expresses concerns about whether the EPA can enforce state plans, whether enough renewable energy is available to meet the rule’s expectations, whether there is funding to construct more natural gas infrastructure, how to dispose of nuclear waste and how to address cross-state emissions reductions.
Governors from the following states signed the letter: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.