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State Attorneys General support UCS approach for strengthening the EPA’s renewable targets
In addition to supporting the EPA’s legal authority to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, the Attorneys General from 12 states (California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington), Washington DC and New York City also specifically endorsed our approach for strengthening the renewables building block:
Other methodologies for determining potential renewable generation on a state-by-state basis, such as that proposed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, have confirmed that increased renewable generation is feasible and cost effective at even higher rates of adoption than projected by EPA … Thus, the States prefer an approach to the renewable energy building block that results in a target that aggressively captures the technical feasibility and market potential of renewable energy. Based on such an approach, the States also believe that there is a demonstrated basis for strengthening state-specific targets for some states.
Clean energy, public health, and environmental organizations support UCS approach
More than 25 national and state non-profit organizations also supported the UCS Demonstrated Growth approach and several other options for strengthening the renewable energy targets in their comments to the EPA. This included major renewable energy business groups like the American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association and Advanced Energy Economy. It also included public health and environmental justice groups like the U.S. Climate & Health Alliance and WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and consumer groups such as Public Citizen, Consumer Action and Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy.
In addition, many national, regional, and state environmental organizations supported our approach and other alternatives, such as the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Southern Environmental Law Center, several Minnesota organizations and Utah Clean Energy.
Next steps for the EPA
As the EPA weighs the millions of comments it received on the Clean Power Plan, this diverse and comprehensive support sends a strong signal to the EPA to strengthen the state renewable energy and emission reduction targets when the final rule is released next June.
When combined with stronger targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy allows states to affordably deliver the much deeper emission reductions that are needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
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