Clean Power Plan’s cancellation is a turning point in the battle for free markets

Washington Examiner discusses President Trump’s Executive Order withdrawing much of President Obama’s climate change policy with Myron Ebell.

For starters, Trump’s order revokes President Obama’s so-called Clean Power Plan, an energy-rationing scheme, that expanded the EPA’s regulatory powers beyond what was permitted under the Clean Air Act. The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Washington, joined with other free market advocates to file suit against the EPA arguing that the Clean Power Plan is unconstitutional.

Myron Ebell, director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment, sees cause for encouragement in Trump’s latest action. But he also makes it clear in a statement that some heavy lifting still needs to be done to fully reverse the damage of Obama’s regulatory policies. Ebell said:

President Trump’s Executive Order on withdrawing much of President Obama’s climate and energy-rationing agenda is welcome news for the American people. In particular, we applaud his action to begin withdrawing the EPA’s greenhouse gas rules, including the so-called ‘Clean Power’ Plan. These rules, which are clearly illegal, would raise electric rates for consumers significantly and do immense economic damage to the heartland states where U.S. manufacturing is now concentrated.

…

Also important are the president’s actions on the Social Cost of Carbon and the NEPA climate impacts guidance documents. If left in place, these two guidance documents would be used to justify ever-more destructive energy regulations and to stop public infrastructure and private natural resource projects across the country.

Even so, Ebell points out that more heavy lifting needs to be done before Trump can close the deal on putting an end to Obama’s climate change regime.

“The two most important decisions yet to be announced are to withdraw from the Paris Climate Treaty and to re-open the EPA’s Endangerment Finding,” he said.

Read the full article at Washington Examiner.