Few Pleased With New EPA Emissions Plan
Oklahoma regulators, officials not happy with EPA carbon dioxide plan
by Paul Monies
Reliability of the electric grid, compliance costs and the blurring of traditional regulatory functions in state government were among the concerns raised by Oklahoma officials and utilities on a federal plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency received more than 1.6 million comments on its Clean Power Plan proposal during a five-month comment period, which ended Monday.
EPA wants to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from power plants 30 percent by 2030. States have different goals based on their fuel mix from 2012.
To meet the proposed goals, states could phase out coal plants or switch them to natural gas, EPA said. States also could strengthen programs for energy efficiency, use more renewable energy or join with other states in the region to meet the emissions reductions.
Michael Teague, Oklahoma’s secretary of energy and environment, said the EPA proposal blurs the regulatory responsibility of agencies within the state. The Corporation Commission sets rates and regulates electric utilities, while the Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for air-quality permits and implements state plans for federal Clean Air Act regulations.