State and federal leaders in West Virginia spoke out against new rules for power plants that were announced Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said the Biden Administration was more frightened by political threats than any risks to the power grid. He called the action "political" and indicated he expected court challenges would eventually block the rule change.
"How could they be so stupid to move down this path knowing the outcome is going to be...sheer havoc and the insecurity," Manchin said. "The bottom line is we don't have the energy security we need for the country right now."
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito also promised to fight against the EPA's regulations.
"To protect millions of Americans, including energy workers, against executive overreach that has already been tried and rejected by the Supreme Court," she said. "I will be introducing a congressional review act resolution of disapproval to overturn the EPA's job-killing regulations announced today.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2022 West Virginia was the second largest coal producer in the nation, only behind Wyoming. Chairperson of the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club said the state should be focusing on transitioning to clean energy so coal employees can have additional careers in renewable energy.
"There's definitely going to be new jobs created in energy efficiency and in renewable energy sources, the installation of carbon capture equipment would also create a large number of jobs. West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club Chair Jim Kotcon said.
The West Virginia Coal Association said the rules are an attempt to close power plants in the state.
Make no mistake, the rules announced by EPA today are specifically designed to shut down West Virginia's 9 coal-fired power plants and many more across this nation...What EPA is doing is economic suicide. West Virginians will lose jobs. Americans will continue to pay increasingly more expensive power bills.
The rules also require safer disposal of wastewater and coal ash. The EPA said changes are expected to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the sector by 75%, compared to its peak in 2005.
"We think these rules are a major step forward and will help protect communities. Coal fired power plants have a number of adverse health effects on local residents," Kotcon said.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey vowed to challenge the rule.
This new rule would strip the states of important discretion while using technologies that don’t work in the real world—so it sets up the plants to fail. These plants, which are an essential part of our power grid, will be unable to meet the standards dictated by the EPA, leaving them with no other option but to cease operations...We will be challenging this rule...