In the following statement, National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn applauded Representative Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for co-sponsoring the “Electricity Security and Affordability Act” to safeguard the full diversity of energy sources necessary for generating affordable and reliable electricity. H.R. 3826 passed the House today on a bipartisan vote of 229 to 183:
“Today members of both parties have come together on an issue of overriding importance by safeguarding a diverse energy portfolio to ensure that Americans continue to enjoy reliable and affordable electricity. Careful consideration should be given to this bipartisan, common sense alternative to EPA’s New Source Performance Standards for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from new coal-based power plants. EPA’s proposal represents a significant step backwards for supplying America with affordable and reliable power from the cleanest coal-based power systems commercially available. The agency would effectively ban coal from America’s power portfolio by conditioning new power generation on the use of unproven technologies.
“The Department of Energy recently confirmed that EPA’s proposal would drive up the cost of generating electricity from new coal power plants by 80 percent. The EPA itself admits the regulation will have no impact whatsoever on the climate.
“Rep. Whitfield and Sen. Manchin have offered a better approach by basing emissions standards for new power plants on proven technology that is available for use today, as Congress intended in the Clean Air Act. This approach ensures that coal, which today generates more electricity than any other energy source, will continue to contribute to future electricity generation with reduced emissions made possible from proven, best-in-class technologies. The bill also protects against further impairment of the reliability and affordability of the existing power plant fleet by setting a reasonable implementation timeline.
“Keeping coal in the nation’s energy portfolio strengthens our nation’s ability to provide electricity when we need it and at prices Americans can afford. Using best-in-class technologies available today, we can continue to achieve lower emissions without sacrificing our economy and high-wage employment. That’s the common sense solution that’s so far been missing in Washington.”