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Thursday, June 05, 2014

Big coal states got breaks in EPA climate plan

The Obama administration's plan for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants accommodates the needs and wants of coal states, Ari Phillips reports for Climate Progress.

"Unsurprisingly, politicians in these states have been among the most vehement attackers of the proposal, tying it into their 'war on coal' narrative," Phillips writes. "However, they fail to mention the concessions the EPA is giving them based on their existing energy generating fleets and limited potential to drastically cut emissions." (Click on image for larger version)
While Republicans in Kentucky's congressional delegation strongly criticized the plan, "John Lyons, Kentucky’s assistant secretary for climate policy, told The Wall Street Journal that he “EPA recognizes our issue and provided the flexibility that we had said was needed in order to meet whatever standards they put forward. They pretty much laid out every option out there that you could think about.” The state administration in Kentucky is Democratic. (Read more)

"Kentucky may be well positioned to meet a carbon emission target for power plants set by federal regulators, even as U.S. Senate candidates there blast the plan, saying it will cripple the state''s coal industry," reports Valerie Volcovici of Reuters.
 

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