South Dakota Electric Cooperatives Alarmed by President Obama’s Proposal to Increase Regulations and Costs PIERRE, S.D. – In a speech today at Georgetown University, President Obama announced a broad new federal mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants. The President will instruct federal regulators to apply the Clean Air Act to carbon dioxide issued from power plants, effectively outlawing coal-burning facilities. South Dakota’s electric cooperatives are especially concerned about this proposal because rural and low-income Americans already spend disproportionately more on energy than others. “The impact of the President’s plan on co-op-served families and businesses could be significant in South Dakota,” said Ed Anderson, general manager of the South Dakota Rural Electric Association in Pierre, S.D. “Rural communities have been put through an economic wringer for the better part of a decade; they’ve made incredible sacrifices.” “The President’s plan fails to take into account electric cooperatives existing efforts to protect the environment in a responsible and cost effective manner. With more than 1,060 megawatts of installed renewable generation capacity in our portfolio, South Dakota electric cooperatives are doing a lot more than just talking about our commitment to the environment. That, coupled with the fact that electric cooperatives have been leaders in encouraging energy efficiency and conservation for decades, should serve as a model for a responsible approach to addressing climate concerns,” said Anderson “We can move forward in our collective efforts to protect and improve the environment. And we can do it in an effective and affordable manner. Using the Clean Air Act to tax every coal-fired generation facility in the United States out of business is not a responsible solution. It is only expedient,” Anderson said.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:35:22 +0000
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