The Clean Power Plan was made public August 3rd, and while some see this bill as a historical milestone taking real action on climate change, others see it as an EPA overreach – detrimental to Wyoming’s economy.
“The Clean Power Plan is scientifically flawed and if implemented will not achieve minimum reductions. It is in fact damaging – not just to Wyoming, but the nation,” Wyoming Governor Matt Mead said in a press release. “I will continue to fight regulations that are fundamentally bad for Wyoming and exceed the regulatory authority of the federal government.”
Coal related fields comprise about 11 percent of Wyoming’s economy; additionally, the state produces 40 percent of the nation’s coal.
However, other political officials see the plan as a necessary and historic step in the fight on climate change.
“The Clean Power Plan is a landmark action to protect public health, reduce energy bills for households and businesses, create American jobs and bring clean power to communities across the country,” according to the White House Office of the Press Secretary press release.
Yet some do not believe the power plan will help Wyoming, and the regulations face resistance from Wyoming legislators and lawmakers.
“He [Barack Obama] would like to bankrupt our country. It’s causing coal companies to have financial troubles…It’s more about controlling people than the environment,” Rep. Roy Edwards, R-Campbell, said.
Other political officials, such as Wyoming Democratic Party Executive Director Aimee Van Cleave, see the bill as a necessary step in combating climate change.
“Climate change is a very real eventuality that future generations are going to have to live with,” she said. “We support the president’s plan to try to address that issue. There’s no reason why Wyoming’s economy, at least in terms of the energy industry, couldn’t diversify. There’s no reason why we need to just focus on coal.”
