State Officials to EPA: Allow Energy Efficiency for Compliance with Existing Power Plant Carbon Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should allow states to use energy efficiency programs as a way to comply with its forthcoming rule that will regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, state energy officials, regulatory utility commissioners, and clean air agencies from more than 45 U.S. states urged the agency on Thursday.
In a set of principles unveiled on Thursday, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, and the National Association of State Energy Officers called on the EPA to “recognize the states’ obligation to ensure affordable and reliable electric service as well as to protect the environment.” The EPA should “provide flexibility and deference to state decision making as to how states comply with the 111(d) regulations,” they said.
Significant emission reductions are achievable through energy efficiency, but energy efficiency programs vary by state to reflect local conditions, the nonprofit groups said. They also called on the EPA to offer a draft of its likely approach for assessing the carbon reductions associated with energy efficiency no later than June 2015.
Significantly, they asked the EPA to allow states to recognize past emissions reductions from energy efficiency programs as well as future emissions reductions.
According to NARUC, the principles were crafted during a one-day meeting in April. “The three of us have been meeting regularly since at least December 2010 to discuss common issues stemming from anticipated EPA rules on carbon emissions. Some of these meetings were public, but most were private, get-to-know-you discussions. As the groups solidified our dialogue, questions about how EPA could account for existing State programs came up. This document is an effort to encourage EPA to let energy efficiency programs count toward compliance with the anticipated guidance,” it said in a statement.
“States are leaders in developing and implementing energy efficiency programs,” said NARUC President Colette D. Honorable of Arkansas. “This early action has equipped our nation with the tools necessary to further reduce emissions and promote more efficient electricity usage. While NARUC remains neutral on the existing and forthcoming EPA rulemakings, we encourage the agency to recognize each state’s diverse generation fuel mix and provide flexibility so electricity consumers are not overburdened. Energy efficiency is one of many ways states can use to comply with the EPA rules and we hope the agency will give this document strong consideration.”
—Sonal Patel, associate editor (@POWERmagazine, @sonalcpatel)