Boxer, Warren, Sanders, and 8 Other Senators Tell EPA that Clean Power Plan Can Go Even Further

Back in September, 10 Senate Democrats joined the Senate Republicans in trying to get the EPA to delay its carbon regulations.

However, 11 other senators are taking a different approach: encouraging the EPA to go further.

The senators argued that, if the menu of options the Clean Power Plan provides for how to achieve emissions reduction were modified to account for current market and technological conditions, then it could achieve far greater emissions reduction than initially suggested.

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear Administrator McCarthy,

We commend the EPA for using its authority under the Clean Air Act to propose the Clean Power Plan—a flexible and practical approach to reduce carbon emissions from the electrical generation sector. The need for national action to reduce carbon emission is essential to the United States taking responsibility for curbing its carbon emissions.

While the emission reduction goals of the Clean Power Plan are laudable, we believe that with modest changes to reflect real-world market and technological conditions, the plan can, and should, achieve even greater emissions reductions. Specifically, this letter includes recommendations in its Appendix that would result in more renewable energy (under Building Block Three) and energy efficiency (under Building Block Four) being deployed than is currently accounted for under the draft plan.

The Clean Power Plan will be the single most significant step this country has ever taken to tackle greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector, so it is essential that it be done right. For the Clean Power Plan to be a success, it must achieve the level of emissions reductions that the science calls for to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change. Maximizing the deployment of cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency will be the key to achieve the necessary emissions reductions. EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan can meet these objectives by making the modifications to the plan outline in this letter.

We look forward to continue to work with you on this important and historic proposal to combat climate change. Attached is an appendix that provides greater detail ont eh recommendations made in this letter.

Corey Booker (D-NJ)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Here are some of the suggestions in the appendix:

•    Recognize the regional nature of the electrical grid so that state targets reflect renewable energy generation potential at the regional level.

•    Remove the benchmark deployment rate as a constraint on the target in favor of the Integrated Planning Model (IPM), which can calculate renewable energy development potential by evaluating the technical potential, costs, and grid conditions in each state.

•    Update data in line with current market conditions and recent technological developments to better evaluate resource potential.

•    Include distributed generation technologies, which utilities are increasingly adopting, in calculating state targets.

•    Consider all efficiency measures that have been adequately demonstrated in the marketplace.

•    Adopt a consistent approach in which any state that implements energy efficiency measures will receive full credit for such measures.