House Republicans tell EPA to step down on new power plant rules

Leaders from the House Energy and Commerce Committee called on the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw its proposed greenhouse gas standards for new power plants.

House Energy Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), along with Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.), sent a letter to EPA chief Gina McCarthy on Friday.

The committee’s upper brass called the proposed carbon emissions regulations an overreach of the EPA’s legal authority.

The GOP lawmakers said testimony by the agency’s air and radiation regulator, Janet McCabe, on Thursday did not ease their concerns on carbon capture technology required at new coal-fired power plants.

McCabe said the technology for carbon capture systems has been “adequately demonstrated” at three government funded projects.

House Republicans have consistently criticized the administration’s use of the Clean Air Act in its recently proposed regulations.

“In light of these statutory prohibitions, we request that the EPA’s proposed rule, which has not yet been published in the Federal Register, be withdrawn,” the lawmakers wrote in letter.

“This will ensure that the agency does not propose standards beyond its legal authority. This will also ensure that stakeholders and the public will not have to incur additional costs to respond to a proposal that contravenes applicable law.”

You can read the letter here.