1Urging the Environmental Protection Agency, in developing
2guidelines for regulating carbon dioxide emissions from
3existing power plants, to respect the primacy of this
4Commonwealth and other states and to rely on state regulators
5to develop performance standards for carbon dioxide emissions
6that take into account the unique policies, energy needs,
7resource mix and economic priorities of this Commonwealth and
8other states.

9WHEREAS, A reliable and affordable energy supply is vital to
10this Commonwealth's economic growth, jobs and the overall
11interests of its citizens; and

12WHEREAS, This Commonwealth supports an all-of-the-above
13energy strategy because it is in the nation's and its best
14interests; and

15WHEREAS, The United States has abundant supplies of coal that
16provide economic and energy security benefits; and

17WHEREAS, Coal provides affordable and reliable electricity to
18the citizens of this Commonwealth; and

19WHEREAS, Carbon regulations for existing coal-fueled power
20plants could threaten the affordability and reliability of this

1Commonwealth's electricity supplies and risk substantial job
2losses through the premature closure of power plants that have
3just invested in pollution controls to meet the Environmental
4Protection Agency's (EPA) recent mercury regulations; and

5WHEREAS, Carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fueled power
6plants in the United States represent only 3% of global
7anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions; and

8WHEREAS, The United States Energy Information Administration
9projects that the nation's electric sector carbon dioxide
10emissions will be 14% below 2005 levels in 2020 and that carbon
11dioxide emissions from coal-fueled power plants will be 19%
12below 2005 levels in 2020; and

13WHEREAS, On June 25, 2013, the President of the United States
14directed the Administrator of the EPA to issue standards,
15regulations or guidelines to address carbon dioxide emissions
16from new, existing, modified and reconstructed fossil-fueled
17power plants; and

18WHEREAS, The President expressly recognized that states "will
19play a central role in establishing and implementing carbon
20standards for existing power plants"; and

21WHEREAS, The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to establish a
22procedure under which each state shall develop a plan for
23establishing and implementing standards of performance for
24existing sources within the state; and

25WHEREAS, The Clean Air Act expressly allows states, in
26developing and applying such standards of performance, "to take
27into consideration, among other factors, the remaining useful
28life of the existing source to which such standard applies"; and

29WHEREAS, The EPA's existing regulations provide that states
30may adopt "less stringent emissions standards or longer

1compliance schedules" than EPA's guidelines based on factors
2such as "unreasonable cost of control," "physical impossibility
3of installing necessary control equipment" or other factors that
4make less stringent standards or longer compliance times
5"significantly more reasonable"; and

6WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of electricity consumers
7in this Commonwealth to continue to benefit from reliable,
8affordable electricity provided by coal-based electricity
9generating plants; therefore be it

10RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the EPA, in
11developing guidelines for regulating carbon dioxide emissions
12from existing power plants, to respect the primacy of this
13Commonwealth and other states and to rely on state regulators to
14develop performance standards for carbon dioxide emissions that
15take into account the unique policies, energy needs, resource
16mix and economic priorities of this Commonwealth and other
17states; and be it further

18RESOLVED, That the EPA should issue guidelines and approve
19state-established performance standards that are based on
20reductions of carbon dioxide emissions achievable by measures
21undertaken at fossil-fueled power plants; and be it further

22RESOLVED, That the EPA should allow the Commonwealth and
23other states to set less stringent performance standards or
24longer compliance schedules for power plants within their
25jurisdiction; and be it further

26RESOLVED, That the Commonwealth and other states should be
27given maximum flexibility by the EPA to implement carbon dioxide
28performance standards for fossil-fueled power plants within
29their jurisdiction.