America’s Power Statement on EPA’s Ozone Transport Rule

Washington, D.C. – America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Ozone Transport Rule (also known as the Good Neighbor Rule):

“We are reviewing the final Ozone Transport Rule to determine whether EPA has addressed the concerns that we and many others raised that more coal plant retirements will further increase the risks to grid reliability. EPA estimated that the proposed Ozone Transport Rule would cause one-fourth of the U.S. coal fleet to retire within the next three years.  Additional coal plant retirements are in stark contrast to the concerns that have been raised by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and grid operators about the possibility of electricity shortages in many regions of the country caused largely by coal plant retirements.  Unfortunately, EPA has chosen to reject state plans that would have reduced emissions and avoided reliability problems and, instead, imposed its anti-coal bias on the states and the nation’s electricity supply.” 

America’s Power is a partnership of industries involved in producing electricity from coal.