11.17.15

Hoeven Statement on Passage of Two Resolutions Repealing EPA's Final Rules for New and Existing Power Plants

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Energy Committees, today issued the following statement in response to Senate passage of two resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) costly power plan rules. One of the resolutions would roll back the agency’s rule for existing plants and the second would challenge the rule governing new coal generating power plants. Hoeven is a cosponsor of both measures.

“The resolutions we passed today will stop the EPA from implementing the agency’s CO2 emissions rules, which would force us to close down power plants in North Dakota and across the country. The new regulations would drive up the cost of electricity for consumers and eliminate thousands of jobs that support working families across America. Our energy companies in North Dakota have already spent billions of dollars to develop new technologies that produce energy more cost-effectively and with better environmental stewardship, but these new rules would require our state to reduce CO2 emissions by 45 percent, well beyond the 11 percent reduction required of us in the proposed rule and more than any other state.

“While we were able to pass the legislation, President Obama has made it clear that he intends to veto the bill when it comes to his desk. The challenge then will be getting enough votes to override a presidential veto. The reality is that the EPA’s new rules will actually discourage the kind of investment and innovation we need to produce more energy with better environmental stewardship. Instead of imposing new, onerous rules, we should be empowering investment, as we have in North Dakota, resulting in good jobs, economic growth and affordable energy for consumers and businesses.”

On another front, Hoeven, Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Affordable Reliable Energy Now Act (ARENA Act) in May. The legislation prevents the EPA’s effort to circumvent Congress and impose new rules on power plants that will drive up costs for consumers and kill good jobs.

-###-