EPA carbon regulations would raise costs of energy and more
The closed unit at Gorgas was reliable, but lacked the environmental controls that coal-fired power plants must now have to meet the latest federal regulations.
The following opinion piece was written by George Clark, the president of Manufacture Alabama. It was published on Oct. 7, 2014 in the Reader Opinion section of AL.com. An excerpt:
George Clark, president of Manufacture Alabama
The EPA’s rules will make it harder to produce energy and more expensive to buy it. This will mean fewer jobs for our workers and higher prices for their families.
My organization, Manufacture Alabama, represents hundreds of companies of all sizes and types. They create the technology, infrastructure and products that power our economy and, yes, protect the environment.
We already start at a disadvantage. High corporate tax rates and burdensome federal regulations make it significantly more expensive to manufacture in the U.S. than overseas.
But we enjoy a competitive edge in one area — energy. It’s abundant, cheap and reliable. This is especially true in states like Alabama, which rely on plentiful coal and inexpensive natural gas.
The EPA plan calls for a 30 percent cut in greenhouse gases by 2030. It would artificially and arbitrarily cap carbon dioxide emissions in Alabama and every other state, even during peak summer and winter months.
