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U.S. Representative Kristi Noem joined more than 170 Members of Congress on a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to extend the comment period on its upcoming regulation of greenhouse gases from existing power plants, expected to be released on June 2.

“The proposed regulations will impact nearly every segment of our economy,” said Rep. Noem.  “I am very concerned that every South Dakotan’s electricity bill will increase while energy reliability will decrease should the proposal be put in place.  Sadly, those cost increases will hit populations who are already struggling to make ends meet each month hardest.  While clean air is important, the EPA has a responsibility to understand every impact this will have on our communities and our way of life.”

The bipartisan letter urges the Agency to provide at least a 120-day comment period.  The new regulations are expected to place greater restrictions on the amount of carbon dioxide coal plants can release into the atmosphere each year. This would be the first regulations on greenhouse gas emissions for existing power plants.

The Honorable Gina McCarthy
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Administrator McCarthy:

We are writing to request that the Environmental Protection Agency provide a sufficiently long comment period on its upcoming regulation of greenhouse gases from existing power plants. The Agency should provide at least a 120 day comment period, given the significant impact this rule could have on our nation’s electricity providers and consumers, on jobs in communities that have existing coal-based power plants, and on the economy as a whole.

The upcoming proposal will necessarily be more complex for the industry to deal with than the proposal for new plants, and stakeholders will need time to analyze the rule and determine its impact on individual power plants and on the electric system as a whole.  This analysis will be no small undertaking, especially since this will be the first ever regulation of greenhouse gases from existing power plants.  Additionally, since the EPA extended the original 60 day comment period for the new plant proposal, it makes sense to provide at least the same timeline for the existing plant rule. 

Affordable and reliable electricity is essential to the quality of life to our constituents.  While we can all agree that clean air is important, EPA has an obligation to understand the impacts that regulations have on all segments of society.  As one step toward fulfilling this obligation, we urge you to provide for a comment period of at least 120 days on the forthcoming new source performance standards for existing coal-based power plants.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
KRISTI NOEM
Member of Congress