Dalrymple to Urge EPA to Develop a Cooperative Strategy for Continued CO2 Reductions
Press Release
Gov. Jack Dalrymple will meet on Sunday with Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA,) in Washington, D. C. to discuss the agency's proposed carbon emissions standards for existing coal-based power plants.
Dalrymple said he will encourage EPA to reconsider its approach to further reduce CO2 emissions in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to stay the enforcement of the agency's new power rules. The Governor said the EPA should work with Congress, the states, industry and consumers to develop a responsible strategy for continued reductions in CO2 emissions.
"Coal-fired power plants provide about 80 percent of North Dakota's residential and commercial energy supply while also providing power to surrounding states," Dalrymple said. "These power plants have continued to reduce emissions while providing an efficient and cost-effective energy source. Unattainable standards would undermine the nation's energy security and would lead to lost jobs and higher electricity costs for consumers."
North Dakota is one of just a handful of states that meet all ambient air quality standards established by the EPA, but would be one of the hardest hit states if the EPA's new CO2 emissions rules move forward, Dalrymple said. In its initial proposal, the EPA announced it would require that North Dakota reduce CO2 emissions by 11 percent. But when the EPA released its final rules, the agency arbitrarily increased North Dakota's reduction requirement to 45 percent, well above the 32 percent national average reduction.
In North Dakota, private industry and researchers are developing innovative solutions to further reduce carbon emissions, including work underway at the University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center to capture carbon and utilized it for advanced oil recovery. Rather than operating in a vacuum, the EPA should work with all stakeholders to develop a workable plan for continued CO2 reductions, Dalrymple said.
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