Iowa's electric co-ops support Supreme Court ruling on Obama's Clean Power Plan

Des Moines, IA – Iowa’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives are encouraged by the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling late Tuesday to halt implementation of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan regulations until litigation is concluded. Oral arguments on the Clean Power Plan’s legality will be heard at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 2, 2016, and it will most likely be appealed to the Supreme Court which may not review the case until early 2017 or later. 

“Moving ahead with implementation of the Clean Power Plan regulations before legal challenges are played out would have caused many Iowa cooperatives to take costly and irreversible steps to comply. Iowa’s electric co-ops are committed to environmentally responsible electricity, but we must also advocate for affordability and grid reliability on behalf of our member-owners. This ruling supports our mission,” said Chuck Soderberg, executive vice president of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a request to stay the federal carbon regulations in January. A coalition of 29 states and state agencies led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey then appealed to the Supreme Court to stay implementation of the Clean Power Plan. 

In August of 2015, President Obama announced the Clean Power Plan mandates which gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate and enforce carbon emissions from existing power plants under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce the nation’s carbon emissions from fossil-fueled power plants 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 by assigning states individual reduction targets based on their energy mix. For Iowa, the final 2030 rate-based emissions limit for power plants in the state would be a 42 percent reduction from the state’s 2012 emission rate.

About IAEC
The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives represents the interests of not-for-profit electric cooperatives, including 35 distribution co-ops and 7 generation & transmission co-ops. Owned by the members they serve, Iowa’s electric cooperatives power the lives of 650,000 Iowans throughout all 99 counties and are committed to delivering power that is safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible. Rural electric cooperatives have been working to improve quality of life through energy education, community support, and rural economic development for over 75 years. Formed in 1942, IAEC provides many vital functions for its members including legislative representation, regulatory oversight, training and education services, safety programs, and communications support. Learn more at www.iowarec.org.
 
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For More Information:

Erin Campbell
IAEC communications manager
515-727-8945 office
ecampbell@iowarec.org