EPA Rule Forces Luminant to Close Facilities, Sacrifice Hundreds of Middle-Class Jobs and Reduce Texas Electricity Supply

Statement

U.S. Congressman Bill Flores (R-Texas), a former business entrepreneur, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the House Budget and Natural Resources Committees, released the following statement today regarding Luminant's announcement of facility closures and job reductions in response to the recent Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule:

"On a day in which President Obama is touting his "job creation plan,' his policies have forced the largest competitive power generation company in Texas, Luminant, to close facilities and sacrifice approximately 500 jobs. In order to comply with the unrealistic deadline and damaging requirements of a recent EPA rule forcing Texas power generators to make dramatic reductions in emissions, the company must reluctantly idle two generating units and end operations at three Texas mines.

"It is outrageous that the EPA failed to adhere to the rulemaking process by excluding Texas in the 2010 draft rule, only to add Texas at the last minute in the final June 2011 published rule and expect compliance within six months. These regulations will hurt middle-class jobs and harm electric reliability in Texas with no proof that electric power generation in Texas is causing the non-attainment of pollution standards in other states. The Obama administration's oppressive regulatory regime has put an unnecessary burden on our Nation's job creators and businesses at a time when we can least afford it. Not only are this administration's disastrous policies preventing future job creation and economic growth, but they are destroying existing jobs. Instead of proposing the same failed idea that Washington can grow jobs and restore the economy, it is time we get Washington out of the way and implement common-sense Main Street solutions to put Americans back to work.

"Throughout 2011, House Republicans have continued to focus on a common-sense, private sector blueprint for job creation and economic growth.In our "Plan for America's Job Creators' we are pressing forcomprehensive tax reform to improve American competitiveness, significant cuts in federal spending, an improved regulatory environment in Washington and a comprehensive energy policy in order to restore the confidence needed for small businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in our economy. House Republicans are committed to taking every possible step to spur job creation and get our economy back on track so that we may get America back to work again and restore our Nation's promise, prosperity and security for future generations."

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