(Washington) –Former Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), Co-chair of Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future Leadership Council, announced his opposition to the EPA’s proposed rule requiring power companies to install not-yet-available pollution control technologies within six years, threatening utility bills and rural cooperatives.
“I commend U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for standing up for workers and everyday Ohioans, to ensure we have sound energy policy that reflects the realities on the ground. The EPA’s well-intentioned but impractical requirements could undermine grid reliability, hurt energy workers, and raise energy bills,” said Rep. Ryan. “While we all support finding ways to cut emissions and advancing clean tech like carbon capture and hydrogen, we can’t sacrifice reliability and affordability either, which is what these rules would do. It’s vital that the EPA works collaboratively with labor and the energy industry to develop a sound and balanced policy for the environment and ratepayers.”
“We commend Senator Sherrod Brown for calling on the EPA to work with labor and industry to revise their proposed rule to ensure Ohioans’ electric bills are not raised,” said Mike Knisley, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Ohio State Building and Construction Council, representing 145 trade unions and 100,000 workers across the state. “We need to reduce pollution, keep electric costs as low as possible for rural residents, and protect jobs for hardworking Ohioans. The building trades support all forms of energy, and we stand ready to work with Senator Brown and the EPA because electric cooperatives are integral to our local communities and economies.”
The State of Ohio has made significant progress in reducing emissions. In 2005, 87% of Ohio’s electricity came from coal. Since then, natural gas use has tripled, coal use has been cut by 66%, and total electric power carbon emissions have dropped by 49% in the state. “We have an incredible carbon reduction story that has worked and worked quickly,” said Rep. Ryan.
Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future supports the expansion of renewables, the development of exciting technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen, and the use of natural gas as a foundation to accelerate our clean energy goals.
“The debate shouldn’t be over fuels, but how to reach our climate reduction goals as quickly as possible,” Rep. Ryan added.
About Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future
Natural Allies is a coalition of interested stakeholders that recognize the vital role natural gas, and its infrastructure must play in the energy mix. Natural gas partnered with renewable energy can accelerate our path to a clean energy future – ensuring affordability and reliability while reducing carbon emissions domestically and internationally. To learn more about the members and the organization, please visit: naturalalliesforcleanenergy.org.
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