Joint Letter Supporting the Ratepayer Protection Act

View the full coalition letter here

The Honorable Fred Upton
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce
U. S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC

Dear Chairman Upton:

The undersigned organizations strongly support passage of H. R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act. This important legislation would delay implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants until such times as all judicial review has been completed. It would also provide States the authority not to implement a federal or state plan if the governor determines that it would adversely affect electric rates or reliability.

In our view, the EPA’s so-called “Clean Power” Plan as proposed is clearly illegal and therefore likely to be overturned through litigation in federal court. However, litigation takes time, which means this ill-conceived rule could do significant economic damage before it is overturned.

The “Clean Power” Plan would raise electric rates and threaten reliability in many States that currently have the lowest rates. California, New York, and most northeastern States have adopted policies that have already raised electric rates above the national average. The results have been to impoverish low-income consumers and drive out energy-intensive industries. This cannot be a good model for a successful national policy. Faced with higher energy costs, low-income Americans will have nowhere to move to in the U.S. And energy-intensive industries that have left California and the Northeast for States with lower energy costs will be forced to shut down and move overseas.

For these reasons, we urge every Member of Congress to vote Yes on H. R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act.

View the complete list of signatories here