WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fifteen Republican governors sent a letter to President Obama concerning the EPA’s June 2 proposal for reducing carbon dioxide emissions at existing power plants under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Governors Robert Bentley of Alabama, Sean Parnell of Alaska, Jan Brewer of Arizona, C.L. “Butch” Otter of Idaho, Mike Pence of Indiana, Susana Martinez of New Mexico, Phil Bryant of Mississippi, Pat McCrory of North Carolina, Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gary Herbert of Utah, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and Matt Mead of Wyoming signed the letter, explaining that EPA’s proposal exceeds federal authority as afforded by the CAA, and creates significant obstacles to state compliance, which the President’s Administration has failed to address.

“We knew these rules were bad when the EPA first released them, and they keep getting worse the more we learn,” said Indiana Governor Mike Pence. “The proposal is ill-conceived, poorly constructed, and will cause significant harm in the states. We should be focused on an energy policy that pursues affordable and reliable energy, rather than a climate agenda that will drive up electricity prices without any discernible impact on global carbon dioxide emissions. I am grateful that these fellow governors have joined me in identifying to the President many of the unconsidered consequences and implications of this proposal, and I hope that the President will reverse course and withdraw the proposed rules without delay.”

A copy of the letter can be found via a link HERE and is excerpted below.

Our country needs a coherent, consistent energy policy that promotes reliable and affordable energy in addition to a healthy environment. However, we cannot achieve this end without a sincere partnership between the states and the federal government, whereby EPA appropriately recognizes the limits of federal authority.

[T]he rule poses numerous practical problems for state compliance. These problems reflect your Administration’s decision to move forward with the proposed regulation without considering or understanding—among other crucial matters—our state energy markets and infrastructure needs.

We request that your Administration provides informed plans to address these significant obstacles to state compliance and that it does so well in advance of the proposal’s comment deadline of October 16. If you cannot fulfill this obligation in time for states to incorporate the new information into their comments, your Administration should withdraw the proposal until it gives due consideration to these critical concerns.

The economic health of our nation depends on accomplishing a balanced energy and environment policy. The United States should be pursuing a strategy that achieves its objectives without severely harming our economies and pitting states against one another. To help facilitate a successful energy policy, we bring these important state concerns to your attention and request thoughtful answers to our questions.

See the article here.