It looks like it’s finally time to say goodbye to President Obama’s power plant rule – and hello to energy independence.
I am thrilled to join Kentuckians this week in celebrating our latest victory in our ongoing fight to end the War on Coal, with the Trump administration announcing their finalized Affordable Clean Energy rule. This would replace President Obama’s overreaching Clean Power Plan rule and finally return power to the states when it comes to implementing clean energy standards.
Rolling back some of the most egregious examples of government overreach on Kentucky’s coal industry has always been a top priority of mine, and I applaud President Trump and his administration for continuing to keep their word to provide long-overdue regulatory relief to all Americans.
I’ve always believed that the Environmental Protection Agency’s core mission is to protect our air and water, not to pick winners and losers through regulating an entire industry out of existence, and I’ve maintained there must be balance when it comes to regulation. America can and should be both pro-economic growth and pro-environment.
This new rule aims to do both of those things. As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to achieving energy independence, this rule would allow all forms of energy to succeed. Not only would it allow for continued efforts to produce cleaner energy, but the EPA also projects that regulatory compliance costs could be cut by up to $400 million per year.
By saving money it would otherwise have had to spend on complying with outrageous and burdensome regulations written to specifically target and destroy coal, Kentucky’s coal industry will finally have the opportunity to grow and succeed. That means more resources going towards creating jobs or upgrading plants with cleaner and more efficient technology.
I know this has been a huge priority for Kentucky’s coal industry, as I’ve heard it firsthand from community leaders and miners throughout Eastern and Western Kentucky. This has also been a priority for all of the coal-related-and-dependent industries, like railroads and manufacturing.
It’s why I’ve worked tirelessly for the last several years to oppose the EPA’s job-killing regulations and the Obama administration’s War on Coal. We’ve made significant strides in Congress, but the Trump administration has given us the critical support needed to turn these goals into reality.
Only time will tell if the coal industry can fully recover from years of suffocating regulations that were enacted to put them out of business, but I am certainly optimistic and remain excited about the possibilities.
We have made great progress in our fight to end the War on Coal, and as someone with a strong record leading this fight, I’m proud to join Kentuckians in celebrating this victory. When I ran for office, I promised to always put Kentucky first. I’m keeping my promise, and no matter what the future holds, I look forward to continuing to defend Kentucky jobs every step of the way.