Huffman Statement on President Obama’s Clean Power Plan

June 02, 2014

WASHINGTON—Following the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the new Clean Power Plan to cut carbon pollution, promote a healthier environment, and fight climate change, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) issued the following statement supporting the significant step toward a cleaner environment and urged Congress to join the President’s efforts:

“Climate change is already having far-reaching impacts -- catastrophic droughts and wildfires in California, more extreme weather events around the world, a rising sea level globally, and impacts to our public health and food supply. We cannot afford to let industry-funded climate deniers, who ignore the science and the facts, continue to block any major federal action. We have a legal and moral obligation to cut carbon pollution now. The President’s Clean Power Plan is a critical step in this direction, setting an achievable goal of cutting carbon pollution from power plants by 30 percent by 2030 through advances in energy efficiency and clean energy sources.

“This decision by President Obama has the potential to put the United States on the right side of history by accelerating our transition to a clean energy future. Toward that end, we must make sure the final Clean Power Plan is as strong as possible. I fought for strong carbon pollution reduction policies in the California Assembly, and I am pleased that this new federal rule will help ensure that all states are doing their part instead of working at cross purposes on this critical issue.

“Reducing carbon pollution will not only improve the health of our planet; it will improve our public health and reduce societal costs associated with air pollution. The cleaner air we’ll breathe under the Clean Power Plan will reduce asthma attacks in children by nearly 150,000 a year, and history has shown we can do it while cutting household electricity bills too.

“I applaud President Obama for taking this bold and necessary action.”

More information  about the EPA’s new standards may be found HERE. 

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