Republican Governors Call on President Obama to Pursue Pragmatic Energy Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nine Republican governors sent a letter to President Obama today urging him to abandon his administration’s recent proposal for burdensome greenhouse gas emissions standards and instead pursue a more pragmatic energy policy where states take the lead.

Governors Sean Parnell of Alaska, Mike Pence of Indiana, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Phil Bryant of Mississippi, Pat McCrory of North Carolina, Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Rick Perry of Texas, and Matt Mead of Wyoming signed the letter requesting that the President rescind his administration’s proposal in order to protect jobs, avoid imposing excessive costs on consumers, and guard the energy industry – an engine of America’s economic competitiveness – from federal overreach and undue regulatory burden.

A copy of the letter can be found at this link and below.

As Governors leading diverse States that both produce and consume energy, we ask that you pursue a pragmatic energy policy that balances our nation’s economic needs, energy security, and environmental quality objectives. 

Your proposed rules for regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing power plants and redefining the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) would unnecessarily expand federal authority over the States in energy policymaking and risk undermining our success. 

In an unprecedented move, your GHG emissions plan would largely dictate to the States the type of electricity generation they could build and operate.  In addition, you seek to essentially ban coal from the U.S. energy mix.  Your pursuit of this objective will heavily impact those of our states that rely primarily on coal for electricity generation—such a decision should not be made by unaccountable bureaucrats. 

As representatives of the citizens who stand to lose so much while gaining next to nothing, it is our duty to confront this issue and to ask that you rescind the regulations you have put forth.  Disposing of these regulations will protect Americans from the costs and burdens the rules would impose upon them and will ensure the continuation of America’s energy renaissance, which is indispensable to our country’s economic recovery and job creation and which is largely a result of State policies.

RGA Energy Letter