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Leslie Rutledge, Lawmakers Denounce Obama Power Plant Rules

2 min read

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and other top Republicans in Arkansas are criticizing and vowing to fight President Barack Obama’s plan to dramatically cut emissions from U.S. power plants.

Rutledge on Monday said she was prepared to take “any and all appropriate legal action” to prevent the implantation of the plan requiring states cut carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent by 2030.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he’ll fight the plan but said he’ll also work with industries and consumers to “determine a lowest cost option to compliance.”

Members of the state’s all Republican congressional delegation also denounced the plan, saying it would lead to higher costs on the state.

Environmental advocates in the state, including the Arkansas Sierra Club, praised the plan and said it would improve the health of Arkansans.

Hutchinson’s Statement

“While I was pleased that the final rule extended the deadline and provided some relief, it is clear that the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan could still result in significant electric rate increases for middle-class ratepayers while having a minimal impact on global temperatures. My administration will do everything it can to protect ratepayers. This includes continuing to work with the Attorney General and urging Congress to act to protect ratepayers and to continue to pursue litigation in opposition to the burdensome regulation. While we will continue to fight the final rule, we will also work with our industries and consumers to determine a lowest cost option to compliance.  

“When it comes to Arkansas’s energy policy, we must take a balanced approach in consideration of safety, reliability, cost-effectiveness and environmental impact. This is why I have directed leadership at the Public Service Commission and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to fully review this rule and develop the best response for our state.”

Rutledge’s Statement

“Today, the EPA has once again decided to move forward with a plan that goes beyond the rule of law. Let me be clear. I favor clean air and will do everything I can to preserve it for future generations, but an out-of-touch plan that proposes even deeper cuts than the original 2014 version is not a balanced approach.

“In 2013, Arkansas received over half of its electricity from coal-fired power plants, and if this plan is fully implemented, Arkansas rate payers will certainly see their energy rates increase. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the Arkansas Public Service Commission and other state stakeholders are in a much better position to protect the State’s clean air.

“Today’s plan is simply the wrong direction and completely ignores the concerns that have been raised over the past several years about anticipated cost increases. My office continues to review the unlawful Clean Power Plan and is prepared to take any and all appropriate legal action to prevent its implementation.”

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)

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