RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — Republican governors from oil-and-gas rich states said Monday that new federal rules designed to cut global warming pollution from power plants by 30 percent by 2030 will kill jobs and growth.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry hosted Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple in Houston.
Mead, whose state produces the most coal in the country, said he — like the others — will use a public comment period to express reservations and hope that the Environmental Protection Agency will make satisfactory changes to the rules before they become official. Wyoming currently has 11 outstanding lawsuits against the federal agency and will not hesitate to challenge these rules in court if necessary, he said.
“We view this as a problem for Wyoming,” Mead said.
These four governors joined five others in a letter to President Barack Obama on Monday that says data shows “millions of jobs will be lost and billions of dollars will be spent” to comply with the regulations to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and other federal rules. All nine governors who signed the letter are Republican.
Carbon dioxide is the chief gas linked to global warming from U.S. power plants.
But Dalrymple, whose state has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth due to a recent oil drilling boom, said he and Mead recently met for breakfast with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and told her that there was no feasible and economic way to capture carbon dioxide at this time. They questioned how the states are expected to make the necessary cuts to comply with the regulations.
“She talked about fuzzy things about conservation” and more efficient coal plants, Dalrymple said. “I was not satisfied with the answer.”
Governors signing the letter were Sean Parnell of Alaska, Mike Pence of Indiana, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Phil Bryant of Mississippi, Pat McCrory of North Carolina, Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Rick Perry of Texas and Matthew H. Mead of Wyoming.