Ky Attorney General Cameron Challenges Biden Administration’s Latest Attack on Kentucky Coal

Monday, June 12, 2023 at 9:34 AM

New regulations would make some retire early

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 9, 2023) – Ky Attorney General Daniel Cameron challenged another U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan to attack coal-fired power plants through overregulation. The EPA’s arbitrary proposal jeopardizes America’s energy security by imposing crippling costs on coal-fired power plants. The EPA’s plan seems designed to force many into early retirement, and it would do just that.

The EPA’s plan unreasonably limits when and how certain power plants can discharge wastewater and byproducts. The plan also requires the industry to adopt expensive technology that is not feasible for most facilities, which will lead to increased energy costs and undermine the nation’s power grid reliability.

“When Kentuckians are paying more at the pump and for their utilities, President Biden is trying to restore Obama-era restrictions on power plants and further degrade American energy,” said General Cameron. “Kentucky deserves better, and I am proud to fight for our energy economy.”

In a comment letter to the EPA, Kentucky’s 20-state coalition urged the agency to reevaluate its misguided approach and adopt more reasonable measures that do not place unduly burdensome requirements on these key industries.

“The proposed rule does not adequately consider the impacts that its required measures will have on power providers, consumers, and the communities in which these plants operate,” the coalition explains. “Although environmental protection is an important goal, it must always be balanced with other important mandates—and EPA appears not to have done that here.”

The Clean Water Act directs the EPA to regulate the discharge of certain pollutants into waters to protect public health. The agency has used this authority to claim overly broad jurisdiction and to justify continued overregulation. Attorney General Cameron has fought this bureaucratic overreach since he was elected and will do so for the entirety of his term.

View a copy of the letter here.