This week, the Trump administration announced plans to weaken the Clean Power Plan proposal. Science policy director J. Drake Hamilton released the following statement in response:

“The EPA’s proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule is a major step backward in addressing carbon dioxide regulation in the United States. The proposed rule falls far short in sufficiently regulating pollution and shows a complete disregard for the health and financial costs of these aging power plants.

The majority of states, including Minnesota, are on track to meet the Clean Power Plan’s targeted emissions cuts by 2030 and utilities across the country are already moving away from coal in response to economic realities. While the Clean Power Plan aimed to cut carbon emissions 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, early analysis shows the Trump plan will cut carbon dioxide emissions by only .7 to 1.5 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. This is an unnecessary step back that flies in the face of reality.”

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