AEP president says climate action inevitable, so bill is preferable to administrative regulation

Comprehensive legislation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions is a better option than single-focused regulation by federal bureaucrats, American Electric Power President Michael G. Morris wrote in a commentary printed in the Sunday Gazette-Mail of Charleston, W.Va. "A key fact that is critical for everyone to understand has been lost in the debate," Morris said. "One way or another, there will be climate action."

Morris, right, argues that even if the Senate fails to pass a climate-change bill, the Environmental Protection Agency will pursue carbon-dioxide regulation under the Clean Air Act and "climate action by EPA isn't equivalent to climate action by Congress and, in our view, is in no one's best interests." Morris says EPA regulation would be taken on a source-by-source basis and provide little to no consideration for employment, energy prices or the economy.

"No legislation is perfect, particularly one that seeks to overhaul the way our nation uses energy, but we believe this climate bill will work and it represents the best of the available options," Morris wrote, saying that investment in clean-energy technologies will benefit coal-reliant states by supporting the "continued use of America's most abundant energy source."

Morris said the bill passed narrowly by the House can be improved by increasing the percentage of emission allowances electric companies can give consumers, adding federal authority for location of new transmission lines to support expansion of renewable energy, moving the starting date of the legislation back to 2013, and strengthening international-trade provisions. "Climate action is inevitable," he said. "We're pulling for the Senate." (Read more)