“Wyoming’s future economic certainty, thousands of jobs and our energy security depend on repealing the Clean Power Plan,” Enzi said. “I hope the EPA carefully takes into consideration the opinions of the Wyomingites who spoke here today and the positive impacts repealing this rule will have on Wyoming’s communities.”
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., joined people gathered in Gillette on Tuesday, March 27, to support the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed repeal of the so-called “Clean Power Plan.”
At a rally, and later at an EPA organized listening session, Enzi criticized the Obama-era rule for the destruction it would impose on the coal industry.
Under the Clean Power Plan, Wyoming would have had to reduce its emissions by 44 percent by 2030, forcing the closure of many coal power plants and discouraging investments in new facilities.
Enzi characterized the rule as not only unnecessary and burdensome for Wyoming, but also as an overreach of the EPA’s authority.
“Wyoming’s future economic certainty, thousands of jobs and our energy security depend on repealing the Clean Power Plan,” Enzi said. “I hope the EPA carefully takes into consideration the opinions of the Wyomingites who spoke here today and the positive impacts repealing this rule will have on Wyoming’s communities.”
According to a study conducted by the University of Wyoming, in the best case scenario, the Clean Power Plan would have resulted in a loss of more than 7,000 jobs in Wyoming and the elimination of 1 in 10 jobs in the Powder River Basin. By 2030, researchers also estimated a 36-46 percent decrease in revenue from coal and natural gas.
“As the former mayor of Gillette, I know firsthand the benefits coal brings to this community and to our entire state,” Enzi said. “Revenue from coal funds our state budget — which translates into money for public schools and infrastructure projects that benefit the entire state. The coal industry in Wyoming creates good, high-paying, reliable jobs for thousands of people. The Clean Power Plan’s attack on our jobs and our entire state’s economy is unacceptable.”