Obama Plan Would Weaken Power Grid
The Obama administration and its radical U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decided to fundamentally change our energy grid, putting all Americans at risk (“ Ohio to fight Obama plan curtailing coal plants,” Dispatch article, Aug. 4). The so-called Clean Power Plan will be the most expensive regulation ever imposed on our electric power sector, with a projected price tag of $366 billion or more.
Congress should deal with a decision of this magnitude, not unelected bureaucrats. As a matter of fact, in 2009, the president’s original “cap-and-trade” carbon plan failed in a Harry Reid-controlled Senate.
The plan makes our energy grid vulnerable by increasing the use of less-reliable intermittent fuel sources. Ohio’s own EPA stated during the comment period that officials have serious concerns with what this plan will do to our grid’s reliability.
Families that already are struggling will see double-digit rate increases to their electricity bills, and many could be forced to choose between keeping food on the table and keeping the lights on. Apparently, Obama assumes all Americans have the same deep pockets as his environmentalist campaign donors.
Worse yet is the job loss that Ohio and other states that rely on affordable electricity will face if this plan takes full effect. These aren’t just coal-country jobs, though they will take a hard hit. These jobs will come from any business that uses large amounts of energy. American companies can’t compete in a global market where their energy bills skyrocket while competitors enjoy affordable energy from coal.
The president said this plan would create jobs; unfortunately, those jobs will be overseas.
Americans will see higher electricity bills, massive job loss and grid unreliability for virtually no environmental benefit. By its own data model, the EPA’s plan will have little effect on global climate change.
As we count the days until the 2016 election, we look forward to a robust debate on the future of energy. Coal can provide affordable and reliable energy for the next 250 years. We need an administration that stands for families, not special interest groups.
Finally, we must thank our coal miners, who have been powering America for more than a century. While Obama was announcing this plan, they were hard at work so we all can keep the lights on.
CHRISTIAN R. PALICH
President
Ohio Coal Association
Columbus
See the article here.
- On August 20, 2015